FORMULATION AND IN VITRO EVALUATION OF ACYCLOVIR LOADED POLYMERIC MICROPARTICLES: A SOLUBILITY ENHANCEMENT STUDY

Objective of present work was to formulate polymeric microparticles of acyclovir using 0-cyclodextrin by solvent evaporation method and kneading technique. Four different ratios were fabricated in each case. Sodium lauryl sulfate (4% was utilized as intestinal permeation enhancer in this study. Prepared microparticles were characterized for micromeritic properties i.e., angle of repose, Hausner's ratio, Carr's index, bulk density and tapped density, entrapment efficiency, zeta size and zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, powder x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy and permeability studies across chicken intestine. Kinetic models: zero order, first order, Higuchi and Korsmeyer Peppas were applied on release data. Based upon the results of entrapment efficiency (81.25% and 74.50%), product yield (92.50% and 85.50%), permeability (85.18% and 82.05%), x-ray diffraction (amorphous nature), and solubility etc., (1 : 2) drug-polymer ratio was declared the best. Moreover, solid dispersions (1 : 2) had shown promising results. A new potential approach for solubility, bioavailability and permeability enhancement of acyclovir and other BCS class IV drugs was successfully established.