Acta Pharm. 63 (2013) 71-83

 

full paper

Original research paper

Formulation and optimization of fenofibrate lipospheres using Taguchi's experimental design

CHOPPARAPU SAROJA and PALGHAT KRISHNAMANI LAKSHMI

drlakshmisuresh@gmail.com

Department of Pharmaceutics, G. Pulla Reddy College of Pharmacy, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, India

Accepted November 5, 2012

 

Fenofibrate lipospheres were prepared by melt dispersion technique. Critical parameters influencing particle size and entrapment efficiency were optimized by applying L9 Taguchi experimental design. Entrapment efficiency of up to 87 % was obtained for the optimized formulations on increasing the olive oil up to 30 % in the lipid carrier. Particle size analysis by microscopy and SEM revealed narrow particle size distribution and formation of discrete lipospheres of superior morphology. In vitro dissolution data best fitted Higuchi model indicating diffusion controlled release from the porous lipid matrices. Prolonged release was obtained from stearic acid-olive oil lipospheres compared to cetyl alcohol-olive oil lipospheres due to the relatively hydrophobic matrix formed by stearic acid. Lipid lowering studies in Triton induced hyperlipidemia rat model demonstrated higher lipid lowering ability for the fenofibrate lipospheres compared to marketed product and plain drug.

 

Keywords: fenofibrate, lipospheres, olive oil, bioavailability, sunflower oil, phospholipids, sustained release