THE ROLE OF MIXED MICELLES IN ENHANCING THE SOLUBILITY OF POORLY WATER - SOLUBLE DRUGS

Ezegbe Chekwube Andrew*, Ogbonna Emmanuel Emeka, Olenyi Ogbonna Christiantus, Okafor Angel Chioma, Atamakoh John Ogheneovo, Aniawana Lawrence Okwuchukwu, Onyia Oluebube Chisom, Agu-kalu Amarachi, Ugorji Anita Chidera, Onoduagu Simeon Chinedu, Juliet Obianuju Dingwoke

ABSTRACT

Micellar solubilization also known as solubilization by surfactants consist of molecules with prominent polar and non-polar portions. Use of surfactants is one of the techniques that is used to enhance the solubility of poorly soluble drugs. Surfactants reduce the interfacial tension in aqueous medium and increase the dissolution of poorly soluble drugs such as ibuprofen, diclofenac sodium and piroxicam. The use of micelles as drug carriers has a lot of advantages such as enhanced permeability, reduce toxicity, and longer residence time in the system.  Surfactants form micelles when their concentration is greater than the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Solubilization is the process of increasing the aqueous solubility of a drug through the presence of a surfactant at or above its CMC. The formation of micelles helps in solubilizing a water-insoluble substance, by incorporation into micelles. Poorly soluble drugs can be solubilized in the inner core of the micelle, on its surface, or at intermediate portion in the palisade layer. Some of the surfactants commonly used are polysorbates, poly-oxy ethylated castor oil, tween-80, poly-oxy ethylated, glycerides, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonates (SDDBS), lauryl macro glycerides, and mono, di fatty acid esters that possess low molecular weight polyethylene glycol. Micellar surfactants and polymers are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as formulation aids in solids, semisolids, suspensions, emulsions and solutions. One of the most important attributes of micelles is that they can enhance the solubility of drugs that are insoluble or sparingly soluble in water. A lot of studies have been reported on drug solubilization by micelles, and they rely on a simple thermodynamic model that regards micellar solubilization as a distribution of the drug between the aqueous and micellar environments.

Keywords:

Micelle, Solubilization, Surfactants, Dissolution, Polymers

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