FORMULATION, CHARACTERISATION AND IN-VITRO EVALUATION OF NOVEL IONICALLY CROSS LINKED CASEIN NANOPARTICLES FOR MEMANTINE HYDRO-CHLORIDE DELIVERY

The objective of the study was to fabricate protein nanoparticles for better controlled and targeting action of drug, which can also overcome the problems like multidose therapy, poor patient compliance and high cost associated with conventional formulations. Memantine HCl loaded casein nanoparticles (F1 to F6) were prepared by ionically cross-linked method. The formulated nanoparticles were evaluated for external morphological characters, determination of particle size analysis, zeta potential, drug content, entrapment efficiency and in-vitro release studies. The particle size varied from 148 to 317 nm and zeta potential was in negative and its value found to be – 46.4 mV. The drug content for the Memantine HCl loaded casein nanoparticles varied from 69.5 ± 7.2% to 87.9 ± 1.2%. The entrapment efficiencies were found to be minimum and maximum of 55.50 ± 2.4% and 86.30 ± 3.6%. The percentage yields of all formulations were in the range of 48.24 ± 1.24 to 86.13 ± 1.37%. In-vitro release of drug follows zero order and showed sustained release behaviour for a period of 24 hr. The optimized formulation contained STTP and casein in 1:3 ratio and could demonstrate the sustained release sucessfully. Memantine HCl loaded casein nanoparticle is a potential new delivery system for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.