Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to increase the solubility and thereby improve the oral bioavailability of Furosemide by incorporating the drug in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). The Furosemide loaded NLC was prepared by solvent diffusion method using labrafil m 2130 as solid lipid, capryol pgmc as liquid lipid and tween 80 as surfactant. The prepared formulations were optimized by 2³ full factorial design using total lipid: drug ratio, solid lipid: liquid lipid ratio and surfactant concentration (%) as independent variables and %entrapment efficiency and %invitro drug release as dependent variables. The optimized Furosemide loaded NLC formulation was evaluated for drug content, entrapment efficiency, drug loading capacity, particle size, PDI , zeta potential, morphology, storage stability, in vitro drug release and mechanism of drug release. Drug content, entrapment efficiency, drug loading capacity, average particle size, PDI and zeta potential of Furosemide NLC were found to be 83.56%, 75.50%, 25.63%, 99.24nm, 0.302 and -31.2mV respectively. Morphology study by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed spherical particles with smooth surfaces. As compared to in-vitro drug release of Furosemide pure drug, optimized NLC formulation showed a fast initial release followed by a sustained release, best fitted to Higuchi equation. Pure drug followed Zero order release kinetics. The results obtained showed potential of NLCs for significant improvement in oral bioavailability of poorly soluble Furosemide.

Keywords: Furosemide, Solvent Diffusion Method, Nanostructured Lipid Carrier, Labrafil M 2130, Capryol PGMC, 2³ Full Factorial Design, Entrapment Efficiency, In Vitro Drug Release.