Pelletization of ibuprofen-phosphatidylcholine self-assembling nanoparticles

Objective(s): Prescription of ibuprofen as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is limited by its gastrointestinal side effects and poor aqueous solubility. It was shown that phospholipid-association (PA) can lead to assembling assembly of the micellar form, thereby improving solubility  of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs solubility and reducing their gastrointestinal side effects. Materials and Methods: Ibuprofen in PA form was prepared and its interaction, crystallinity, and particle size were evaluated. Conventional ibuprofen and PA pellets in different drug contents were prepared by extrusion-spheronization. The mMorphology, shape factors, mechanical strength, and drug content of pellets were investigated. The dissolution test also was conducted in an intestinal-simulated medium and a gastric-simulated medium. Results: The results showed that PA micelles of ibuprofen were demonstrated to be formed, amorphous, and in an acceptable size range. Using a suitable composition of solid components and granulation fluid, pellets with desirable size, shape, and sphericity could be produced. All pellets have had plastic mechanical properties and the strength of formulations were  decreased with increasing PA ratio. The PA-pellet formulation had faster drug release compared to conventional ibuprofen pellets, via increasing ibuprofen solubility by reducing crystallinity in solid state and micelle formation in dissolution media. Moreover, ibuprofen solubility in a gastric-simulated medium was decreased and might result in reduced gastrointestinal side effects.Conclusion: Due to the demonstrated bioavailability advantages of PA-pellets, they can be considered for further studies.