Loading antifungal drugs onto silica particles grafted with cyclodextrins by means of inclusion complex formation at...

Immobilization of antifungal drugs to solid particles has been addressed in order to limit the skin penetration to the skin surface during topical administration. Antifungal drug griseofulvin has been immobilized at the surface of silica particles by formation of its inclusion complex with β-cyclodextrins grafted to silica. A simple and fast process for loading griseofulvin into the hydrophobic cavity of cyclodextrins at the surface of the solid particles in aqueous suspension has been designed. It allowed the formation of the griseofulvin:cyclodextrin inclusion complex of 1:1 stoichiometry to completion. Grafting β-cyclodextrins to silica surface has been performed in a two-step procedure. The coupling agent 3-amino-propylmethyldiethoxysilane was reacted onto fumed silica particles as a first step. The second step was the reaction of grafted primary amino groups with tosylated β-cyclodextrin that led to β-cyclodextrin grafted silica. Loading griseofulvin onto grafted silica particles have been investigated by IR spectroscopy and by tracking possible crystals of griseofulvin in aqueous suspension by optical and scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Successful formation of the inclusion complex at the surface of grafted silica suggested a strong adsorption of griseofulvin by means of heterogeneous nucleation of crystals, followed by inclusion complexation taking place between the partners being in close proximity at the surface of silica particles. The high adsorption capacity of CD-grafted silica for griseofulvin compared to bare silica and amino-grafted silica supports this interpretation.