Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Development of niosomal formulations loaded with cyclosporine A and evaluation of its compatibility

Mujeeb Ur Rehman¹, Akhtar Rasul¹ , Muhammad Imran Khan², Muhammad Hanif³, Muhammad Naeem Aamir¹, Muhammad Khurram Waqas⁴, Muhammad Rouf Akram¹

¹Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutics, Government College University Faisalabad; ²Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University Lahore; ³Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan; ⁴Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore; ⁵College of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.

For correspondence:- Akhtar Rasul Email: akhtar.rasul@gcuf.edu.pk Tel:+923344918888

Accepted: 28 July 2018 Published: 31 August 2018

Citation: Rehman MU, Rasul A, Khan MI, Hanif M, Aamir MN, Waqas MK, et al. Development of niosomal formulations loaded with cyclosporine A and evaluation of its compatibility. Trop J Pharm Res 2018; 17(8):1457-1464 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v17i8.1

© 2018 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To formulate niosomes of cyclosporine A using nonionic surfactants, and to use the attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) technique to explore solid/liquid interfacial phenomena as well as compatibility between active drug and pharmaceutical excipients.

Methods: Niosomes of cyclosporine A were prepared using the thin-film hydration method. Cholesterol and non-ionic surfactants, including polyethylene glycol sorbitan monostearate (Tween 60) and sorbitan monostearate (Span 60), were used as excipients. The ATR-FTIR spectra of all the ingredients, their physical mixtures, and niosomal formulations were studied. The niosomes were characterized for size, polydispersivity index (PDI), zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency.

Results: Six niosomal formulations (F₁ – F₆) were successfully developed. Niosomal formulation F₂ prepared at the ratio of 6:4 surfactant to cholesterol, presented the highest entrapment efficiency of 77.28 %. The ATR-FTIR spectra of niosomal formulations did not show incompatibility. The size of the selected formulation (F₂) was 1049 nm while its SEM image displayed a spherical nature of the niosomes.

Conclusion: The results show that cyclosporine A can be entrapped in niosomes using non-ionic surfactants and cholesterol. Furthermore, there is no significant interaction between the ingredients of niosomes and cyclosporine A.

Keywords: Cyclosporine A, Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), Niosomes, Compatibility, Non-ionic surfactants