Liquid and Solid Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (Sedds) Containing Valsartan: Stability Assessment and Permeability Studies

Abstract

Objective: Valsartan (VST) is a Biopharmaceutical classification system (BSC) class II active ingredient with a bioavailability of approximately 25% and is utilized to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). This study aimed was to showcase the stability and increase the permeability of VST by developing self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) and solidified SEDDS (S-SEDDS) formulations. Material and Method: The ratios of the components were determined by the pseudo-ternary phase diagram, and the characterization studies were conducted in the previous study. Stability was performed in long-term (25±2˚C, 60±5% relative humidity) and accelerated (40±2˚C, 75±5% relative humidity) conditions. The intestinal permeability of SEDDS formulations was evaluated by Caco-2 cells. Result and Discussion: Formulations for 12 month, droplet sizes were found to be 67.52 ± 5.26 nm and 176.93 ± 17.34 nm for SEDDS of VST (VST-SEDDS) and S-SEDDS of VST (VST-S-SEDDS), respectively. During this period, polydispersity indexes were: VST-SEDDS, 0.56±0.1; VST-S-SEDDS, 0.58±0.05. Both formulations increased VST permeability across Caco-2 cells: VST-SEDDS by 2.32x (powder) and 2.18x (commercial); VST-S-SEDDS by 1.38x (powder) and 1.30x (commercial). The formulation components did not have cytotoxic effects. These results demonstrated that newly developed VST-SEDDS and VST-S-SEDDS formulations with high permeability may be a desirable approach for antihypertensive therapy.