FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NANOSUSPENSION FORMULATION OF DIOSMIN FOR ENHANCED ORAL DELIVERY

Nanosuspension is a biphasic system consisting of drug particles dispersed in an aqueous surfactant or polymeric solution with a particle size between 10 to 1000 nm. Nanosuspension offers the unique advantage of increasing solubility of the pure drug resulting into faster drug absorption and hence achieving faster maximum plasma concentration. Hence, the aim of this research work was to formulate and characterize surfactants/polymer-stabilized nanosuspensions of diosmin (DSN), a phytomedicine, to surpass its poor physicochemical properties and low oral bioavailability. Nanosuspensions were prepared by probe sonication with varying concentrations of different surfactants and polymers such as PVP K 25, poloxamer 188, Tween 80, and PEG 400. Nanosuspension prepared with 3% w/v PEG 400 and 3% w/v DSN, exhibited the lowest size of 203.9 nm, PDI of 0.219, and adequate zeta potential of -27.26 mV, which was subjected to solubility and in-vitro drug release study. The highest solubilizing capacity of DSN was manifested in orthophosphate buffer pH 12. Approximately five times increase in saturation solubility of lyophilized nanosuspension was observed than that of an unprocessed drug. DSN nanosuspensions showed a significantly enhanced release rate compared with pure DSN in orthophosphate buffer pH 12, and this was due to a decrease in particle size. Conclusively, novel DSN nanosuspension could successfully improve its solubility and dissolution characteristics with promising consequences of better drug delivery.