PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF NON-IONIC SURFACTANT VESICLE USING STATISTICAL OPTIMIZATION: OLMESARTAN USED AS MODEL DRUG

The purpose of the present work was to prepare and evaluate olmesartan-loaded non-ionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) to get sustained release by increasing the solubility and bioavailability. Ether injection and thin-film hydration methods were used for the preparation of all formulations as per the factorial design to study the effect of the three independent variables X1 (amounts of span 60), X2 (amount of cholesterol) and X3 (amount of chitosan/ PEG-6000) on two dependent variable Y1 (% DEE), and Y2 (% CDR), respectively. Prepared niosomes were characterized by % DEE, % CDR, FTIR, SEM, and zeta potential, etc. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA, and optimization was done by fitting experimental data. After 8 hours dissolution, the minimum and maximum cumulative drug release were observed to be 75.90% and 85.91%, and 77.32% and 88.74% for SPEIM-2 and SPEIM-1 and CHEIM-2 and CHEIM-1; 80.24% and 86.11% and 80.11% and 90.72% for SPTFH-2 and SPTFH-1, and CHTFH-7 and CHTFH-1, respectively. Data obtained from in-vitro dissolution tests were fitted to different kinetic models. FTIR and DSC studies revealed the absence of significant drug-polymer interaction. The SEM and FTIR studies were used to confirm of round and smooth surface and no interaction along with drug and excipient. In-vitro and ex-vivo permeability study was also done. From the analysis, it can be concluded that olmesartan-loaded niosomes are potential candidates for getting sustained drug release by improving solubility and bioavailability.