SURFACE-MODIFIED BEESWAX-BASED NANO-LIPOGELS AS POTENTIAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM: PRELIMINARY PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

SURFACE-MODIFIED BEESWAX-BASED NANO-LIPOGELS AS POTENTIAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM: PRELIMINARY PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Franklin CHIMAOBI KENECHUKWU1,⃰,  Mumuni AUDU MOMOH1 , Chukwuebuka HARFORD OZOUDE2 , Anthony AMAECHI ATTAMA1 , Emmanuel CHINEDUM IBEZIM1

  1.  Drug Delivery and Nanomedicines Research Group, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.
  2.  Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 11(2): 074-087  ; 2019

ABSTRACT

Surface-modification is a promising tool in drug delivery. The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize surface-modified nano-lipogels as potential drug delivery system. The nanotool was developed based on mineral fat (beeswax) and surface-modifier [Phospholipon ® 90H (P90H)] and investigated for enhanced physicochemical performance of miconazole nitrate (MN), a poorly water-soluble imidazole antifungal. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed the amorphous nature of the optimized solidified reverse micellar solution (SRMS) containing rational ratio of beeswax and P90H (3:7) used in preparing the solid lipid nano-dispersion (SLN) as well as MN-loaded SRMS. The SLN prepared by high-shear hot homogenization (melt-emulsification) showed irregular and spherical nanoparticles, had low polydispersity indices, with average particle size in the range of 204.0 ± 2.9 to 263.0 ± 7.1 nm. The developed lipid nano-lipogels were spreadable and viscoelastic. Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectra indicated components compatibility. This study has shown that phospholipid-modified beeswax-based lipid nano-lipogels could be employed as potential drug delivery system to enhance the physicochemical performance of MN.

 Email of correspondence:frankline.kenechukwu@unn.edu.ng

KEYWORDS:   Physicochemical characterization; Drug delivery system; Solid lipid nano-dispersions (SLNs); Nano-lipogels; Phospholipon® 90H (P90H); Beeswax; Solidified reverse micellar solution (SRMS).