A nutraceutical composition comprising prebiotics, probiotics, and/or synbiotics, spirulina, cereals and micronutrients for improving a person's health, and methods for boosting the immune system and improving vaccine effectiveness in vulnerable populations with the nutraceutical composition, including undernourished children, lactating and pregnant mothers in LDCs, the elderly, and persons with cancer or at risk of developing cancer.

A hydrogel delivery composition and method, including degradable microcapsules suspended in a degradable thermo-responsive hydrogel. The hydrogel is thermo-responsive at a physiological temperature and changes after application to a more solid state due to body temperatures. The composition includes one or more treatment agents to be released over time as the composition degrades. The composition can be varied to modify the structure and/or release of the treatment agent. The degradable microcapsules include one or more of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH).sub.2), bovine serum albumin (BSA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and sucrose to improve release duration.

Disclosed are controlled release particles including: (a) a core including at least one vitamin which is oil-soluble or oil-dispersible; and (b) a wall at least partially surrounding the core, wherein the controlled release particles are produced by reacting (i) a first composition including a hydrophobic oil, the at least one vitamin, an anti-oxidant and a wax with (ii) a second composition including a water soluble emulsifier, a corn protein and a solvent to form an intermediate product, which is mixed with (iii) a third composition including a cellulosic polymer in water, and dehydrated to provide the controlled release particles. A method for preparing the particles and compositions containing the particles are also disclosed.

A composition in micro-encapsulated form, comprising a core based on n- butyric acid or a derivative thereof, and a coating based on a lipid matrix which surrounds the core, in which the matrix has a content of C14-C22 long chain saturated fatty acids between 40% and 95%, is used for the treatment of ulcerative rectal colitis or Crohn's disease.

Non-aqueous membrane emulsion methods for producing polymeric and polymer-coated microparticles are provided. Some embodiments provide methods for producing a sustained release or controlled release microparticle by combining micronized protein powder and a polymer into a hydrocarbon solvent to form a non-aqueous first solution, agitating the first non-aqueous solution to form a suspension, feeding the suspension into a dispersion pump, wherein the suspension is infused through a porous membrane into a continuous phase comprising a fluorocarbon liquid and a fluorosurfactant to form a hydrocarbon-in-fluorocarbon emulsion. The hydrocarbon solvent, the fluorocarbon liquid, and the fluorosurfactant are removed, and the microparticles are collected.

Provided are a nanoliposome-microbubble conjugate in which a drug for hair loss treatment such as finasteride, minoxidil, dutasteride, etc. is encapsulated in a nanoliposome and a composition for alleviating or treating hair loss containing the same. Since an orally administered agent such as finasteride, currently useful as a drug for hair loss treatment, causes side effects, drug delivery through scalp application is most desirable, but the drug is not delivered to hair follicle cells through scalp application alone. Since a drug for hair loss treatment useful as an external preparation for skin causes various side effects, the concentration thereof that is used needs to be further lowered. The above nanoliposome-microbubble conjugate is capable of increasing the delivery efficiency of a drug for hair loss treatment at a low concentration, and is thus very effective at treating androgenic alopecia.

Pharmaceutically compatible nanoparticles comprising at least 50% by weight hydrolysable silicon, wherein the nanoparticles are surface coated with a phospholipid, and wherein the coated nanoparticlesare associated with fluorouracil. Also related compositions and methods.

The invention provides a particle comprising a lipid core and surface-decorated (nano)particles of at least one stabilizing material, for delivery of active agents.

A method of improving microbiome within an animal can include administering to the animal a composition containing a probiotic and psyllium. The probiotic has at least one of any suitable strain or subspecies of Enterococcus. Compositions containing a probiotic and psyllium are also provided herein.

A soft chewable pharmaceutical product for delivery of a pharmaceutically acceptable active ingredient to an animal comprising pamoic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt and a process for the manufacture of such soft chewable pharmaceutical product.