Albendazole Microparticles Prepared by Spray Drying Technique: Improvement of Drug Dissolution

Purpose: To enhance the dissolution of albendazole (ABZ) using spray-drying technique.
Method: ABZ binary mixtures with Kollicoat IR® (KL) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) in various drug to polymer ratios (1: 1, 1: 2 and 1; 4) were prepared by spray-drying. The spray-dried particles were characterized for particle shape, and dissolution rate as well as by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR).
Results: Scanning electron micrographs showed a homogeneous distribution of ABZ in the polymer matrix for ABZ-PVP spray-dried system in ratios of 1: 2 and 1: 4, while it was observed only upon using a ratio of ABZ: KL 1: 4 in case of ABZ-KL systems. FT-IR spectra of both physical mixtures and spraydried mixtures did not show any change for all ABZ-polymer systems, thus indicating the compatibility of the carriers with ABZ. ABZ exhibited a noticeable enhanced dissolution rate from its spray-dried coacervate with PVP and this was independent of the drug/polymer ratio. Drug release was 78, 81 and 81 % from the spray-dried ABZ-PVP systems of drug: polymer ratio of 1:1, 1:2 and 1: 4, respectively, within 5 min. Drug showed complete dissolution within 15 min. On the other hand, enhancement of dissolution rate varied with ABZ: Kl ratio.
Conclusion: Enhancement of ABZ dissolution for both types of spray-dried particles is due to the reduction in drug particle sizes, wetting of the dissolution medium by the hydrophilic carriers and the amorphosization of the drug crystals by the carriers.

Keywords
Albendazole; Spray-drying; Kollicoat; Polyvinyl pyrrolidone; Dissolution; Amorphous