SELF-EMULSIFYING DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM BASED ON INDIGENOUS BREADFRUIT
SEED OIL FOR ENHANCEMENT OF AQUEOUS SOLUBILITY OF ACECLOFENAC
ROMANUS CHIJIOKE OMEH1,6,*, IBEABUCHI JUDE ALI2, CYRIL CHEKWUBE ADONU3,
ASSUMPTA ADAOBI OMEH4, AUDU MUMUNI MOMOH5, GODSWILL CHUKWUEMEKA
ONUNKWO6, JACOB OKECHUKWU ONYECHI6
1. Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Enugu
State University of Science and Technology, Enugu State, Nigeria
2. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Enugu State University of
Science and Technology, Enugu State, Nigeria
3. Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Enugu
State University of Science and Technology, Enugu State, Nigeria
4. Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
5. Drug Delivery Unit, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
6. Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State,
Nigeria
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 14(3): 145-161 ; 2022
ABSTRACT
The objective of the current work was to design and characterize aceclofenac-loaded breadfruit seed oil-based
self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) with intent to improve the gastrointestinal fluid solubility of the
drug. The breadfruit oil was extracted by the soxhlet solvent extraction technique. The oil was then characterized
for acid, iodine, peroxide and saponification values. The solubility of aceclofenac in the breadfruit oils and in
some selected potential components of the SEDDS was determined by the super saturation technique.
Optimization of SEDDS formulation was achieved with the aid of pseudo ternary phase diagrams. The formulated
SEDDS were characterized for standard SEDDS properties. The acid and iodine values of the oil were 3.40 ±
0.33 and 17.50 ± 0.05 respectively while the peroxide and saponification values were 7.20 ± 0.08 and 236.46 ±
0.02 respectively. Oil analysis revealed the presence of oleic, palmitic and linoleic acids among other
constituents. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy suggested no drug-excipient incompatibility. The
optimized formulation exhibited average globule size of 84.67 ± 0.33 nm, zeta potential of -37.24 ± 0.04 and
polydispersity index of 0.203. The SEDDS formulations showed higher in vitro drug releases than both the raw
drug and a commercial aceclofenac tablet. The release data fitted more into the Hixson – Crowell model than into
other release kinetic models. Based on the results, we concluded that breadfruit oil has the potential to be used
as the oil component of a self-emulsifying drug.
Email of correspondence: romanus.omeh@esut.edu.ng;
KEYWORDS: Breadfruit oil; Aceclofenac; Self-emulsifying drug delivery system; solid carrier; droplet
size.