Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026

A Package of Established Analytical Tools to Investigate the Solid-State Alteration of Lipid-Based Excipients
Published on: August 9, 2022
Atypical effects of incorporated surfactants on stability and dissolution properties of amorphous polymeric
Hisham Al-Obaidi1, M Jayne Lawrence2, Graham Buckton3
1The School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading, UK. h.al-obaidi@reading.ac.uk.
Objectives:
To understand the impact of ionic and non-ionic surfactants on the dissolution and stability properties of amorphous polymeric dispersions using griseofulvin (GF) as a model for poorly soluble drugs.
Methods:
Solid dispersions of the poorly water-soluble drug, griseofulvin (GF) and the polymers, poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PHPMA), have been prepared by spray drying and bead milling and the effect of the ionic and non-ionic surfactants, namely sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and Tween-80, on the physico-chemical properties of the solid dispersions studied.
Key Findings:
The X-ray powder diffraction data and hot-stage microscopy showed a fast re-crystallisation of GF. While dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) measurements indicated an increased water uptake, slow dissolution rates were observed for the solid dispersions incorporating surfactants. The order by which surfactants free dispersions were prepared seemed critical as indicated by DVS and thermal analysis. Dispersions prepared by milling with SDS showed significantly better stability than spray-dried dispersions (drug remained amorphous for more than 6 months) as well as improved dissolution profile.
Conclusions:
We suggest that surfactants can hinder the dissolution by promoting aggregation of polymeric chains, however that effect depends mainly on how the particles were prepared.
More Related Videos
06:31Studying Surfactant Effects on Hydrate Crystallization at Oil-Water Interfaces Using a Low-Cost Integrated Modular Peltier Device
Published on: March 18, 2020
07:01Preparation of Hollow Polystyrene Particles and Microcapsules by Radical Polymerization of Janus Droplets Consisting of Hydrocarbon and Fluorocarbon Oils
Published on: January 25, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Polymorphism, Amorphism and Pseudopolymorphism
Some polymorphic crystals possess lower aqueous solubility than their amorphous counterparts, leading to incomplete absorption. For instance, the oral suspension of Chloramphenicol, which...
Surface Active Agents
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Particle Size and Effective Surface Area
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Pharmaceutical Parameters
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Drug Permeability, Stability and Stereochemistry
Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Polymorphic Form-Related and Particle Size-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence