This study aims to ameliorate the water solubility of flurbiprofen by using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The drug/ligand 1:1 (M/M) stoichiometry was determined based on the effect of β-CD on the solubility of flurbiprofen. Several methods of preparing flurbiprofen/β-CD inclusion complex were investigated and a solvent method using hot water to dissolve the starting materials was selected. The selected method showed a lot of advantages such as high complexing ability, good product yield, simple and eco-friendly process. The obtained product was characterized using various analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The product had a predominantly amorphous form with clathrate particles of about 2-7 µm in size, irregular edges and rough surfaces. The study results show that in the complexing process, flurbiprofen replaced water molecules located in the conical cavity of β-CD. The complex contained 19.91% flurbiprofen by mass with water solubility at 37°C was 1,100 µg/ml. The results also show that the complexing with β-CD significantly improved the water solubility of flurbiprofen by both speed and level.
 Keywords
 Flurbiprofen, β-cyclodextrin, inclusion complex, water solubility, preparation, characterization.
 References
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