Formulation and evaluation of triclabendazole nanoparticles

Abstract

The aim of the study is the formulation and evaluation of triclabendazole nanoparticles. There is a need to develop alternative novel drug delivery formulations of Triclabendazole to improve its intestinal absorption and also reduce its side effects during regular therapy. The Triclabendazole nanoparticles were prepared by hot homogenization method under high magnetic stirring using stearic acid as lipid, and poloxamer 188 was used as a surfactant. Initial pre-formulation studies using FTIR spectroscopy reveal no interactions between Triclabendazole and other excipients; hence, they can be used for the preparation of nanoparticles. The entrapment efficiencies varied from a minimum of 44.63 ± 0.94 to 83.15 ± 0.62%, and it can be concluded that higher amount of lipid is necessary for obtaining a good entrapment efficiency. The drug content of Triclabendazolenanoparticles for all formulations ranges from 65.9 % to 98.4%. Triclabendazole, being a hydrophobic drug, has moderate entrapment efficiency. A spherical shape was observed for the particles, and the particles had a smooth morphology when examined under SEM. In vitro release studies of the formulations carried out in pH 7.4 PBS showed that the total amount of drug is released for 9hrs with sustained effect. The formulations showed a drastic increase in size when stored at room temperature, where particles increased from an initial to 346.8 ±8.8 nm at the end of 1 month to 899.8 ± 5.9 nm at the end of 2 months. The entrapment efficiency of the formulation was determined at each interval to ensure that the drug molecules didn't undergo any degradation during storage.