ABSTRACT:
Colloidal drug delivery system is an emerging area that has been contributing appreciably to the progress in the field of controlled as well as targeted drug delivery. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) by their composition are best suited for drug delivery through skin for both topical and systemic action. The objective of this study was to develop stable solid lipid nanoparticles of selected model drug i.e. Voriconazole with improved characteristics like high entrapment efficiency and less particle size so that they can be effectively administered through topical route. In this present study, SLNs of Voriconazole were prepared by two methods viz. Emulsion solvent evaporation method and modified hot homogenization method with three different formulation variables in each method that were type of lipid (Cetostearyl alcohol and Imwitor 491), drug lipid ratio (1:2.5, 1:5 and 1:7.5) and concentration of surfactant tween 20 (0% and 0.5% v/v). The entrapment efficiency was found to be influenced by all the variables of the study and the SLNs prepared with Imwitor 491 at 1:7.5 ratio by emulsion solvent evaporation in presence of surfactant was found to have maximum entrapment efficiency i.e. 84.24%. The particle size and surface morphology were determined by scanning electron microscopy and all formulations of SLNs were found to be in the size range of 207 – 312 nm. These results were subjected to ANOVA studies. The size of SLNs prepared from modified hot homogenization method was found to be small when compared to those prepared from emulsion solvent evaporation method.