title: A menthol-based solid dispersion technique for enhanced solubility and dissolution of sulfamethoxazole from an oral tablet matrix.
abstract: A menthol-based solid dispersion was designed to improve the intrinsic solubility of the poorly soluble sulfamethoxazole- a class II drug molecule of Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) displaying widespread antibacterial activity. Solid dispersions of menthol and sulfamethoxazole were compressed with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) into suitable sulfamethoxazole-loaded matrix tablets for oral drug delivery. The sulfamethoxazole-loaded solid dispersions and compressed tablets were characterized for their physicochemical and physicomechanical properties such as changes in crystallinity, melting point, molecular transitions, and textural analysis for critical analysis of their effects on the solubility and dissolution of sulfamethoxazole. The formulations were further evaluated for swelling, degradation, solubility, and in vitro drug release behavior. In vitro drug release from the sulfamethoxazole-loaded matrix tablets displayed a minimum and maximum fractional release of 0.714 and 0.970, respectively. The tablets further displayed different release rate profiles over the study periods of 12, 16, 48, and 56 h which were attributed to the varying concentrations of menthol within each formulation. Menthol was determined as a suitable hydrophilic carrier for sulfamethoxazole since it functioned as a solubilizing and release-retarding agent for improving the solubility and dissolution of sulfamethoxazole as well as controlling the rate at which it was released.
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193, South Africa.
authors.forename: Bibi F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Choonara
authors.forename: Yahya E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Choonara
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: du Toit
authors.forename: Lomas K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Tomar
authors.forename: Charu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.forename: Viness
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pillay
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D008422:Materials Testing; D008610:Menthol / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D013607:Tablets
chemical_list: D013607:Tablets; D008610:Menthol; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole