Improved dissolution of ibuprofen after crystallization from polymeric solution: Correlation with crystal parameter

Abstract

The objective of the present work was to investigate the effect of various hydrophilic polymers, such as hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and poly vinyl alcohol, on the in vitro dissolution property of ibuprofen (IBU) crystallized from aqueous polymeric solutions. By using the solvent-change technique, IBU crystal products were produced in the presence of the selected polymers. The results showed that in the presence of polymers, the crystallization yield of IBU was higher than that of pure drug crystals (absence of polymer). SEM photographs revealed visible changes in the crystal morphology in the presence of polymers. The FTIR spectra of the crystallized IBU (polymer-treated) showed a shift of the acid-dimer peak from 1718 to 1721 cm-1 but the absence of specific peaks for polymers. An XRD study further confirmed the absence of polymers in the crystallized IBU as no specific peaks were observed for the polymers. A higher percentage of cumulative drug release was reported for the polymeric-treated IBU crystals than that of plain IBU. Further in vivo studies are warranted to establish the in vitro-in vivo correlation for future technology transfer of the formulation.