• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2002

A self-microemulsifying drug delivery system(SMEDDS) composed of Cremophor $EL^{\circledR},\;Labrasol^{circledR}$, and Lauroglycol $FCC^{circledR}$ was prepared for the enhancement of solubility, dissolution rate and bioavailability of ibuprofen(IBP), which is water-insoluble but soluble in oils and surfactants. Phase diagram with various regions including microemulsion area was depicted. The SMEDDS was encapsulated in soft gelatin capsules and their dissolution characteristics in various media were observed in comparison to the generic products commercially available in the market. Soft capsules of SMEDDS formulation showed better dissolution profiles, especially in acidic condition, than the others. For the period of 1 hr dissolution in pH 1.2 medium, it reached over 70% dissolution from soft capsules, compared to less than 40% dissolution from commercial reference tablets. On the other hand, in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained after oral administrations of different IBP preparations to Sprague Dawley rats. SMEDDS formulation showed higher $C_{max}$ and greater $AUC_{0-5hr}$ than the suspension of reference tablet or IBP powder. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that a newly developed soft capsules employing SMEDDS provides an alternative preparation to improve oral bioavailability of IBP.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.339-347
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• 2007

SMEDDS is mixture of oils, surfactants, and cosurfactants, which are emulsified in aqueous media under conditions of gentle agitation and digestive motility that would be encountered in the gastro-intestinal(GI) tract. The main purpose of this work is to prepare self-microemulsifying drug delivery system(SMEDDS) for oral bioavailability enhancement of a poorly water soluble drug, atorvastatin calcium. Solubility of atorvastatin calcium was determined in various vehicles. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed to identity the efficient self-emulsification region and particle size distributions of the resultant micro emulsions were determined using a laser diffraction sizer. Optimized formulations for in vitro dissolution and bioavailability assessment were $Capryol^{(R)}$ 90(50%), Tetraglycol(16%), and $Cremophor^{(R)}$ EL(32%). The release rate of atorvastatin from SMEDDS was significantly higher than the conventional tablet ($Lipitor^{(R)}$), 2-fold. Our studies illustrated the potential use of SMEDDS for the delivery of hydrophobic compounds, such as atorvastatin calcium by the oral route.