FORMULATION AND IN-VITRO EVALUATION OF SOLID LIPID NANOPARTICLES CONTAINING DEXAMETHASONE

Sonali Suryawanshi*, Jyoti Sonawane, Amit Chaudhari, Yogita Ingle, Siddiqua Shaikh and Vishal Chavhan

ABSTRACT

The present study aims on preparing dexamethasone loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to reduce the dose, frequency of dosing, reduce side effects and to increase the bioavailable fraction of drug (<30% orally in general). A total of 16 formulations were prepared (8 for each lipid i.e. Stearic acid and Palmitic acid; SF1-SF8 and PF1-PF8 respectively) Optimized formulations were characterized for particle size analysis, , drug entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release study. The particle size of SF1, SF2, SF6, PF1, PF2 and PF6 was measured to be 124.5 nm, 136.4 nm, 154.4 nm, 130.4, 167.5 and 146.2 nm respectively using Microscopic method, which was in desired range. SLN formulations were found to be stable with drug entrapment efficiency was reported to be approximately 90% for selected formulations. From in vitro drug release study, the % cumulative drug release after 24 hrs from SF1, SF2, SF6, PF1, PF2 and PF6 was recorded to be 93.44, 90.20, 85.58, and 92.33, 89.44, 88.58 respectively. Mechanism of drug Release was found to follow Higuchi diffusion model; Fickian diffusion for SF batch formulations and non-Fickian diffusion for PF batch formulations. The highest cumulative % drug releasing formulation from each batch (i.e. SF1 and PF1) was chosen for further evaluations. The SLNs appeared to be less dense in the core with a well-defined shell. The successful incorporation of Dexamethasone into SLNs opens a wide scope of the study of the delivery system with respect to sustained and targeted drug delivery. However the in vivo studies are yet to be carried out to confirm the potential of formulated SLNs.

Keywords: Dexamethasone, Stearic acid. Palmitic acid, Solid Lipid Nanoparticles.