Aggregated Nanotransfersomal Dry Powder Inhalation of Itraconazole for Pulmonary Drug Delivery.
OBJECTIVE
Local therapy is a valuable and strategic approach in the treatment of lung associated diseases and dry powder inhalation (DPI) formulations play the key role in this plan. Transfersome has been introduced as a novel biocompatible vesicular system with potential for administration in pulmonary drug delivery. The present study was designed to prepare Itraconazole-loaded nanotrantransfersomal DPI formulation.


METHODS
Itraconazole-loaded nanotransfersomes with three different types of surfactant in varying concentrations were prepared and characterized in the point of particle size distribution and morphology by laser light scattering and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. The optimized transferosomal formulations were co-spray dried with mannitol and the aerosolization efficiency and aerodynamic properties of dry powders were determined by next generation impactor using a validated HPLC technique.


RESULTS
The volume mean diameter of optimized nanotransfersomal formulation with lecithin:Span® 60 in the ratio of 90:10 was 171 nm with narrow size distribution pattern which increased up to 518 nm after drug loading. Different types of surfactant did not influence the particle size significantly. SEM images confirmed the formation of aggregated nanoparticles in the suitable range (1-5 µm) for the pulmonary drug delivery. Aerosolization evaluation of co-spray dried formulations with different amounts of mannitol indicated that 2:1 ratio of mannitol:transfersome (w:w) showed the best aerosolization efficiency (fine particle fraction (FPF)=37%). Increasing of mannitol significantly decreased the FPF of the optimized formulations.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study was introduced the potential application of nanotransfersomes in the formulation of DPIs for lung delivery of various drugs.
Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, and Students' Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Mehdi
M
Hassanpour Aghdam
Zanjan Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Center, and Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.|Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Saeed
S
Ghanbarzadeh
Biotechnology Research Center and Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Yousef
Y
Javadzadeh
Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Hamed
H
Hamishehkar
DPI; Dry powder inhaler; Itraconazole; Pulmonary drug delivery; Transfersome