Acta Pharm. 58 (2008) 287-297
Original research paper
A study of rivastigmine liposomes for delivery
into brain through intranasal route
KARTHIK
ARUMUGAM, GANESA SUNDARARAJAN SUBRAMANIAN, SURULIVEL RAJAN MALLAYASAMY, RANJITH
KUMAR AVERINENI, MEKA SREENIVASA REDDY and NAYANABHIRAMA UDUPA
ganrajesh@gmail.com
Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance,
Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal, Karnataka-576 104, India
Accepted June 24, 2008
The present study is mainly aimed at delivering a drug into the brain
via the intranasal route using a
liposomal formulation. For this purpose, rivastigmine, which is used in the
management of Alzheimer’s disease, was selectd as a model drug. Conventional
liposomes were formulated by lipid layer hydration method using cholesterol and
soya lecithin as lipid components. The concentration of rivastigmine in brain
and plasma was studied in rat models after intranasal and oral administration
of liposomes and free drug. A significantly higher level of drug was found in
the brain with intranasal liposomes of rivastigmine compared to the intranasal free
drug and the oral route. Intranasal liposomes had a longer half-life in the brain
than intranasally or orally administered free drug. Delivering rivastigmine
liposomes through the intranasal route for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
might be a new approach to the management of this condition.
Keywords: rivastigmine, liposomes, intranasal administration, brain
drug delivery, pharmacokinetics