Bioavailability of griseofulvin from tablets in humans and the correlation with its dissolution rate

Dissolution rates of 10 commercial microsize griseofulvin tablets and one ultramicrosize griseofulvin tablet were preliminarily determined in 18 liters of pH 7.2 phosphate buffer and in 900 ml of 40% dimethylformamide as test media. Addition of dimethylformamide affected the dissolution behavior of the formulations. The products, three microsize and one ultramicrosize, were selected for further studies on the bioavailability in humans and dissolution. Significant differences among the formulations were found in serum levels Cmax, and AUC47.5 hr, but not in AUC infinity and tmax. The maximum difference of Cmax was approximately 40%. The ultramicrosize product showed lower Cmax and serum levels at earlier sampling times than two microsize products. The dissolution rates determined under sink and nonsink conditions without pretreatment significantly correlated with the serum level at 1 hr but not with the other in vivo parameters. Only the dissolution rate determined by the sink method with pretreatment with a small quantity of water (1.0 ml) and plastic beads significantly correlated with serum levels at 3 and 5 hr, Cmax, and AUC 47.5 hr.