Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs
Published on: July 27, 2022
Preparation and characterization of fast dissolving flurbiprofen and esomeprazole solid dispersion using spray drying
Roshan Pradhan1, Tuan Hiep Tran1, Sung Yub Kim1
1College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, 214-1, Dae-Dong, Gyeongsan 712-749, South Korea.
Abstract:
We aimed to develop an immediate-release flurbiprofen (FLU) and esomeprazole (ESO) combination formulation with enhanced gastric aqueous solubility and dissolution rate. Aqueous solubility can be enhanced by formulating solid dispersions (SDs) with a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-K30 hydrophilic carrier, using spray-drying technique. Aqueous and gastric pH dissolution can be achieved by macro-environmental pH modulation using sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) as the alkaline buffer. FLU/ESO-loaded SDs (FLU/ESO-SDs) significantly improved aqueous solubility of both drugs, compared to each drug powder. Dissolution studies in gastric pH and water were compared with the microenvironmental pH modulated formulations. The optimized FLU/ESO-SD powder formulation consisted of FLU/ESO/PVP-K30/sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) in a weight ratio 1:0.22:1.5:0.3, filled in the inner capsule. The outer capsule consisted of NaHCO3 and Mg(OH)2, which created the macro-environmental pH modulation. Increased aqueous and gastric pH dissolution of FLU and ESO from the SD was attributed to the alkaline buffer effects and most importantly, to drug transformation from crystalline to amorphous SD powder, clearly revealed by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and powder X-ray diffraction studies. Thus, the combined FLU and ESO SD powder can be effectively delivered as an immediate-release formulation using the macro-environmental pH modulation concept.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Pharmaceutical Parameters
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Particle Size and Effective Surface Area
Oral Drug Delivery Systems: Delayed-Release Systems
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Stability Enhancement and GI Retention
In Vitro Drug Dissolution: Alternative Methods
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Solubility Enhancement

