Author information
- 1
- School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- 2
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- 3
- Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- 4
- School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address: greg.walker@otago.ac.nz.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate electrospun drug loaded nanofibers as a new matrix for minitablets. Prednisone, a poorly water-soluble drug, was loaded into povidone (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP) nanofibers using the process of electrospinning. The drug-loaded nanofiber mat was compressed into minitablets with a 2mm diameter and a height of 2.63±0.04mm. SEM analysis of the minitablet identified a nano-web structure with a nanofiber diameter in the range of 400-500nm. The minitablets met the requirements of the US Pharmacopeia with respect to content uniformity and friability. DSC and XRPD analysis of the minitablet indicated that the drug-polymer mixture was a one-phase amorphous system. XRPD analysis of the drug loaded nanofiber mat after 10-months of storage at ambient temperature showed no evidence of recrystallization of the drug. Solubility and dissolution properties of the drug formulated into a nanofiber mat and minitablet were evaluated. These results show that electrospun nanofibers may provide a useful matrix for the further development of minitablets.
- PMID:
- 28167295
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.ejpb.2017.01.022