FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF SOLID LIPID NANOPARTICLES OF RIFAXIMIN
Ankit Sen, Shweta Shukla, Om Prakash Agrawal
ABSTRACT
The present study focuses on the formulation and evaluation of Rifaximin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to enhance its solubility, stability, and sustained-release performance. Rifaximin, a poorly water-soluble antibiotic, presents limited bioavailability, making it a suitable candidate for nanoparticulate drug delivery. SLNs were prepared using the ionotropic gelation method, and five formulations (F1–F5) were developed by varying polymer and crosslinker concentrations. The nanoparticles were evaluated for particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, drug content, in vitro drug release, kinetic modeling, and stability. Among all formulations, F3 demonstrated the most promising physicochemical properties with a particle size of 65.45 ± 0.15 nm, entrapment efficiency of 78.85 ± 0.41%, and high drug content of 99.12 ± 0.47%. Zeta potential analysis revealed a value of ?38.12 mV, indicating excellent colloidal stability. In vitro release studies showed a sustained release pattern, reaching 98.12% drug release at 12 hours. Kinetic modeling indicated that the release followed Zero-order kinetics (R² = 0.983), confirming a consistent and controlled release mechanism. Stability studies conducted over three months showed minimal changes in entrapment efficiency and drug content, establishing the stability of the optimized formulation. The study demonstrates that rifaximin-loaded SLNs, particularly formulation F3, possess favorable characteristics for improved drug delivery, offering a promising approach to enhance Rifaximin's therapeutic efficiency and patient compliance.
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