Formulation &Evaluation of Vesicular Drug Delivery Systems

The objective of this study is to formulate and evaluate proniosomes and microspheres containing ketoprofen as drug delivery systems to improve the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. The present study was performed in two parts and each part includes two chapters as following:Part (I-Formulation and Evaluation of Ketoprofen-Loaded Proniosomes As a Topical Drug Delivery System. Chapter (I)*Preparation, In-Vitro Evaluation and Optimization of Ketoprofen-Loaded Proniosomal Formulations.1.Proniosomal formulations were prepared with a series of sorbitan mono-esters (Span 20, Span 40, Span 60, and Span 80) and sorbitan tri-oleate (Span 85), with or without cholesterol (Chol) and charged lipids like stearylamine (SA) or dicetylphosphate (DCP). Proniosomal powders spontaneously form niosomal dispersion upon hydration with water. The prepared proniosomes were evaluated and the influence of different processing and formulation variables such as surfactant chain length, cholesterol content, total lipid concentration, drug concentration, type of charged lipids (positive or negative), and the pH of the dispersing medium on the entrapment efficiency and in-vitro release rate of KP from different formulations was investigated.2. It was found that proniosomes derived niosomes formed from Span 60 gave the highest entrapment efficiency, followed by Span 40, 20, 80 and Span 85 using the same total lipid concentration.3. The effect of incorporation of cholesterol into proniosomes on the entrapment efficiency was evaluated. Increasing the concentration of cholesterol from 10% to 30% in case of span 40 and span 60 resulted in increasing the entrapment efficiency (%) of proniosomes derived niosomes. .