Solid dispersions of Myricetin with enhanced solubility: Formulation, characterization and crystal structure of stability-impeding Myricetin monohydrate crystals

Abstract

Three solid dispersion forms of Myricetin combined with the Polyvinylpyrrolidone were successfully prepared by spray drying method, and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy and optical microscopy. Zeta potential measurements provided indications on solid dispersions stability in aqueous suspension related to their storage at elevated temperature and relative humidity, which depends on the Myricetin load. By increase of Myricetin load, the stability of the solid dispersion is impeded due to growth of Myricetin monohydrate crystals. The amorphous dispersions with 10% and 50% Myricetin load are stable and, compared to pure Myricetin, their aqueous solubility is enhanced by a factor of 47 and 13, respectively. The dispersion with 80% Myricetin load is unstable on storage, and this behavior acts in conjunction with the development of Myricetin monohydrate crystals. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction results obtained for Myricetin monohydrate reveal a structure of an infinite 2D network of hydrogen-bonded molecules involving all six hydroxyl groups of Myricetin. The water molecules are positioned in between the infinite chains, and contribute via H-bonds to robust crystal packing. The calculated needle-like morphology of monohydrate form is in agreement with the optical microscopy results. The study shows that the solid amorphous dispersions with up to 50% Myricetin load are a viable option for achieving substantial solubility improvement of Myricetin, and supports their potential use in pharmaceutical applications.