SOLID DISPERSION AS A POTENT STRATEGY FOR ENHANCING DISSOLUTION OF POORLY SOLUBLE DRUGS: A FORMULATION AND EVALUATION STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2026v18i3.57107Keywords:
Ibuprofen, Solid dispersion, Dissolution , PoloxamerAbstract
Objective: Ibuprofen is hindered in therapeutic application by its poor aqueous solubility. Among various strategies, solid dispersion (SD) emerges as a promising approach.
Methods: SD of ibuprofen were formulated using hydroxypropyl cellulose, poloxamer 407, poloxamer 188, PEG 4000, and PEG 6000 with solvent evaporation and fusion method. The water solubility of SDs was compared with non-formulated ibuprofen to identify the most appropriate formulation, which was finally assessed for its saturated solubility, dissolution rate, and physiochemical properties.
Results: The results showed that Poloxamer 407 is the most potential carrier for enhancing ibuprofen solubility profile. At 600 mg dose, the saturation solubility of finalized SD showed 85 times higher than raw ibuprofen. At 400 mg dose, the SD achieved over 90% dissolution within 30 minutes, which was at least 20% higher than both raw ibuprofen and PM. Infrared spectroscopy indicated no incompatibility within the SD after 3 months of storage at stressed conditions (40 oC, 75% RH). X-Ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope revealed a partial conversion of ibuprofen from crystal state into amorphous state, which was reconfirmed through differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis results.
Conclusion: These results highlighted the potential of the SD technique in enhancing the solubility of poorly soluble drugs, which also can be widely applied in pharmaceutical field.
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