title: Dissolution enhancement of a model poorly water-soluble drug, atorvastatin, with ordered mesoporous silica: comparison of MSF with SBA-15 as drug carriers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to develop mesoporous silica materials incorporated with poorly water-soluble drug atorvastatin calcium (AC) in order to improve drug dissolution, and intended to be orally administrated. A comparison between 2D-hexagonal silica nanostructured SBA-15 and mesocellular siliceous foam (MSF) with continuous 3D pore system on drug release rate was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  AC-loaded mesoporous silicas were characterized thorough N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic light scattering (DLS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results demonstrated a successful incorporation of AC into the silica-based hosts. The results taken from the drug release tests were also analyzed using different parameters, namely similarity factor (f2), difference factor (f1), dissolution efficiency (DE%), mean dissolution rate (MDR) and dissolution time (tm%). It confirmed a significant enhancement in the release profile of atorvastatin calcium with SBA-15, and MSF as drug carrier. Moreover, in comparison with SBA-15, MSF showed faster release rate of AC in enzyme-free simulated gastric ﬂuid (pH 1.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believed that our findings can help the use of mesoporous silica materials in improving bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.
authors.affiliation: a Zanjan Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Center (ZPNRC) , Zanjan University of Medical Sciences , Zanjan , Iran.
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maleki
authors.affiliation: a Zanjan Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Center (ZPNRC) , Zanjan University of Medical Sciences , Zanjan , Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamidi
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000069059:Atorvastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D016062:Porosity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; C509969:SBA-15; D014867:Water; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D000069059:Atorvastatin
keywords: Atorvastatin; dissolution rate; drug release mechanism; mesoporous silica materials; poorly water-soluble drug