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Published on: September 20, 2017
Screening of drug-sericin solid dispersions for improved solubility and dissolution
Nitin H Salunkhe1, Namdeo R Jadhav1, Harinath N More1
1Department of Pharmaceutics, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Kolhapur 416013, Maharashtra State, India.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|October 15, 2017
Summary
Sericin, a silk industry waste, enhances poorly soluble drug solubility and dissolution. Spray-dried solid dispersions (SDs) with sericin show promising amorphous drug distribution and improved drug delivery potential.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Poorly soluble drugs present significant challenges in formulation development.
- Sericin, a byproduct of the sericulture industry, is explored as a novel excipient.
- Developing effective drug delivery systems for poorly soluble drugs is crucial for therapeutic efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prepare and characterize binary solid dispersions (SDs) of poorly soluble drugs using sericin.
- To enhance the solubility and dissolution rate of drugs by utilizing sericin as a carrier.
- To evaluate the potential of sericin-based SDs for improved drug delivery.
Main Methods:
- Binary solid dispersions (SDs) of BCS-II drugs with sericin were prepared using spray drying, solvent evaporation, ball milling, and physical mixing.
- Characterization involved solubility studies, ATR-FTIR, XRD, DSC, micromeritics, tablettability, surface morphology, and in-vitro dissolution testing.
- Various drug:sericin ratios (1:0.5 to 1:3) were investigated.
Main Results:
- Sericin significantly improved drug solubility by 8-10 fold.
- Spray-dried SDs (1:2w/w) exhibited maximum reduction in drug crystallinity, indicating an amorphous state and molecular distribution.
- Spray-dried SDs showed enhanced compressibility, compactibility, and superior in-vitro dissolution performance compared to other methods.
Conclusions:
- Sericin acts as an effective hydrophilic matrix for delivering poorly water-soluble drugs.
- The aerodynamic properties of sericin-based SDs suggest potential for diverse drug delivery applications.
- Sericin offers a sustainable and effective approach to formulating challenging drug compounds.
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