Liquisolid Compact Technique for Improvement of the Dissolution Rate of Flurbiprofen: Formulation and Evaluation

Abstract

Development of liquisolid compacts is one of the new pharmaceutical formulation technologies to improve the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs. The intent of present investigation was to enhance the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drug flurbiprofen by delivering the drug as a liquisolid compact. Liquisolid compacts were developed using polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) as solvent, Avicel PH102 or starch or HPMC or PEG 4000 or PEG 6000 as the carrier powder and Aerosil 200 as the coating material. The crystallinity of the newly formulated drug and the interaction between excipients was examined by differential scanning calorimetry. The dissolution studies for the liquisolid formulation and the marketed product were carried out at to determine the improvement in dissolution rate and finally the best formulation was subjected to stability studies to assess the drug stability in the formulation. The results of interaction studies showed no change in the crystallinity of the drug and no interaction between excipients. The percentage drug release of flurbiprofen at 10 min (Q10 ) and dissolution efficiency were increased from 22.81 ± 1.09% and 16.68 for conventional tablet to 91.52 ± 0.78% and 60.17 for the liquisolid tablet F5. The increase in the dissolution rate was also found to be significant compared to the conventional tablet. From the stability studies, the similarity index was found as 84.75 and it is above 50 indicated the stability of drug in the formulation. In conclusion, the liquisolid technique was considered as a promising approach to improve the dissolution of poorly soluble drugs like flurbiprofen.