In vitro⿿in vivo performance of bare and drug loaded silica gel synthesized via optimized process parameters

Abstract

Silica xerogel as a potential drug carrier system for the in vivo as well as in vitro delivery of andrographolide was tested. The present study aims to optimize the effective experimental parameters; volume of ethanol, volume of water and drying temperature by applying response surface methodology coupled with Box⿿Behnken experimental design. The in vitro drug release in simulated body fluid at 37οC from the selected formulation was significantly highest (44.83±0.9%) among rest of the formulations. Results indicate that sol⿿gel method is useful for entrapping andrographolide in the silica gel and for releasing the same via diffusion through the porous matrix under the in vitro/in vivo conditions. Silica gel exhibited slow matrix degradation as well as sustained release of andrographolide within the experimental time frame of 168h. In vivo study was performed with three increasing doses [2mg (S1), 8mg (S2), and 16mg (S3)] of silica. Histological fates of different organs were executed with those doses.