Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Official Journal of Pharmacotherpy Group
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Effects of interacting variables on the release properties of chloroquine and aminophylline suppositories

Michael A Odeniyi and Kolawole T Jaiyeoba

Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria 

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 2004; 3(1): 285-290

Abstract  Full-Text

Purpose: The individual and interaction effects of formulation variables on the release of suppositories were investigated using a 2³ factorial experimental design. The variables studied were nature of base (B), type of drug (D), and presence of surfactant (S).

Method: Suppositories were formulated with theobroma oil and Witepsol H15 as bases at ‘low’ and ‘high’ levels respectively. Chloroquine and aminophylline, both water-soluble drugs, were incorporated as active constituents at ‘low’ and ‘high’ levels respectively while Tween 80 was incorporated as surfactant in some of the formulations. Disintegration time and time taken for 50% of the drug to dissolve were used as assessment parameters.

Results: The inclusion of surfactant in the suppository formulation   proved to be the most significant variable in the formulation. The ranking for the individual coefficient values for the formulations was S>>B>D for disintegration time DT and S>>>D>B for the dissolution parameter t₅₀. While the ranking for the interaction effects was B-D>B-S>S-D on DT and on t₅₀ S-D>B-S>B-D.

Conclusion: The results suggest that in formulating water-soluble drugs such as chloroquine and aminophylline as suppositories in a hydrophobic base, the presence of a surfactant is the most influential variable.

Keywords: Suppositories, chloroquine, aminophylline, surfactant, interacting variables.

To whom correspondence should be addressed: E-mail: jaiyeobakt@yahoo.co.uk