Formulation and Characterization of Nifedipine loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers coated with Fenugreek Seed Polysaccharide

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are a recent approach for the delivery of poorly soluble drugs with low oral bioavailability. Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLCs) are mixture of solid lipids along with irreconcilable liquid lipids. The objective of the current study was to formulate and characterize Nifedipine loaded NLCs coated with Fenugreek Seed Polysaccharide for particle size, entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release after 24h. NLCs of Nifedipine coated with Fenugreek Seed Polysaccharide were prepared by solvent injection method. A complete 23 factorial design was used for the evaluation of the prepared Nifedipine NLCs. The size and the morphology of the particles in suspension have been determined by electron microscopy studies and in vitro drug release studies by dialysis technique. Optimized formulation display 337nm average particle size and -52.4mV zeta potential that transmit good stability of NLCs dispersion. In vitro release study showed burst release for initial 0.5 h followed by sustained release up to 24h. SEM study confirmed smooth surface discrete spherical; nano-sized particles. These studies demonstrated that Nifedipine loaded NLCs coated with Fenugreek Seed Polysaccharide a promising method to improve the stability of NLCs.