Studies on mefenamic acid microparticles: formulation, in vitro release, and in situ studies in rats

Preparation and characterization of naproxen solid dispersion using different hydrophilic carriers and in-vivo evaluation of its analgesic activity in mice

Background

Solid dispersion (SD) has been used conventionally as a successful technique for improving the dissolution profile and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. The aim of this study was to progress the dissolution rate and bioavailability of naproxen (BCS class II) by SD technique.

Materials & methods

In this study, hydrophilic carriers are used for preparing solid dispersion of naproxen by evaporation method. The prepared optimized SDNs were evaluated by in-vitro drug dissolution test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in-vivo analgesic effects tests of the optimized SDNs (SDN-2 and SDN-5) were performed by tail immersion method and writhing method.

Results

All the prepared SDNs exhibited a significant increase in the dissolution of naproxen compared to that of the pure drug. Among them, SDN-2 (the dispersion with sodium starch glycolate at 1:2 ratio of naproxen and sodium starch glycolate) and SDN-5 (using the combination of PEG-8000 and sodium starch glycolate with naproxen at 1:1:1 ratio) showed faster dissolution rate as compared to other solid dispersions (SDNs) and pure naproxen. SDN-2 showed 5.4 times better dissolution rate and SDN-5 depicted 6.5-fold increment of dissolution rate compared to pure naproxen drug. DSC, PXRD and SEM microscopy showed that the drugs crystallinity was decreased during the preparation process. FTIR study revealed that naproxen was stable in polymeric dispersions and there was no interaction among the drug and polymers. In writhing method, the percentage inhibition of the number of writhes showed significantly greater (p < 0.01), (p < 0.0001) analgesic activity for the higher dose treatment groups SDN-2(H), and SDN-5(H), respectively, when contrasted to the pure drug naproxen. For tail immersion test, there is increase in latency time at 90 min which is significantly greater (P < 0.01), (P < 0.05), (P < 0.01) for treatment groups SDN-2(H), SDN-5(L), and SDN-5(H), respectively that ultimately authenticates that the optimized SDNs (SDN-2, SDN-5) showed better analgesic activity in mice in comparison with the pure drug.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that dissolution of the naproxen could be improved by the making solid dispersion using sodium starch glycolate and/or combination of sodium starch glycolate and PEG 8000 due to the complete transformation of drug into amorphous form with the entire loss of crystallinity, as evidenced by DSC, PXRD, and SEM and also consequences the enhanced analgesic activity in mice.

Microsponges: a futuristic approach for oral drug delivery

INTRODUCTION

Microparticulate drug delivery systems have, due to their advantages, guided researchers across the globe to explore them as drug carriers. This has, sequentially, led to the development of microsponges in 1988. These porous microspheres were exclusively designed for chronotherapeutic topical drug delivery but attempts to utilize them for oral, pulmonary and parenteral drug delivery were also made. Researchers have extensively studied their properties and characteristics affecting the drug release and loading. Various advances were made with this carrier particle resulting in the development of various novel development techniques and carrier particles.

AREAS COVERED

This review deals with the considerations of the drug material to be entrapped in microsponges, pharmaceutical considerations for fabrication of microsponges, their potential for oral drug delivery, clinical perspectives and also provides an insight on the recent advances made in this field and future prospect.

EXPERT OPINION

Clinical studies show that these carriers can increase drug efficacy. Due to their potential advantages over other carrier particles, microsponges form a prospective platform for the oral delivery of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals. Although these carriers have several advantages, they too possess some drawbacks which limit their commercialization for oral application.

Preparation and Determination of Drug-Polymer Interaction and In-vitro Release of Mefenamic Acid Microspheres Made of CelluloseAcetate Phthalate and/or Ethylcellulose Polymers

The objective of this study was to formulate and evaluate the drug-polymer interaction of mefenamic acid (MA) using two polymers with different characteristics as ethylcellulose (EC) and/or cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP). Microspheres were prepared by the modified emulsion solvent evaporation (MESE). The effect of drug-polymer interaction was studied for each of microspheres. Important parameters in the evaluation of a microencapsulation technique are encapsulation efficiency, yield production, particle size, surface characteristics of microspheres, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The in-vitro release studies are performed in Tris buffer (pH 9) with Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Microspheres containing CAP and EC showed 68-97% and 63-76% of entrapment efficiency, respectively. The thermogram X-ray and DSC showed stable character of MA in the microspheres and revealed an absence of drug polymer interaction. The prepared microspheres were spherical in shape and had a size range of 235-436 μm for CAP-microspheres and 358-442 μm for EC-microspheres. The results suggest that MA was successfully and efficiently encapsulated; the release rates of matrix microspheres are related to the type of polymer, only when polymers (EC and CAP combine with 1 : 1 ratio) were used to get prolonged drug release with reducing the polymers content in the microspheres. Data obtained from in-vitro release for microspheres and commercial capsule were fitted to various kinetic models and the high correlation was obtained in the peppas model. Mefenamic acid, Ethylcellulose, Cellulose acetate phthalate, Microparticles, Modified emulsion-solvent evaporation.