Molecules 2017, 22(11), 2038; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22112038
Preparation of Vitexin Nanoparticles by Combining the Antisolvent Precipitation and High Pressure Homogenization Approaches Followed by Lyophilization for Dissolution Rate Enhancement
1
Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
2
Life Science and Biotechnique Research Center, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 23 October 2017 / Revised: 16 November 2017 / Accepted: 18 November 2017 / Published: 22 November 2017
(This article belongs to the Section Nanochemistry)
Abstract
Vitexin, a natural flavonoid found in many medicinal plants, is well known for its rich pharmacological activities. However, the poor water solubility of vitexin has limited its therapeutic application. The aim of this study was to prepare the nanoparticles of vitexin by combining the antisolvent precipitation (ASP) and high pressure homogenization (HPH) approaches followed by lyophilization for improving the dissolution rate of this poorly water-soluble drug. The effects of main factors influencing the mean particle size (MPS) of vitexin were investigated and optimized. Under optimum conditions, vitexin nanosuspensions with an MPS of 80.5 nm were obtained and then lyophilized to form nanoparticles. The obtained vitexin nanoparticles were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mass spectrometry (MS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), gas chromatography (GC) and dissolution testing. The results showed that the nanoparticles of vitexin were converted into an amorphous form, with its chemical structure unchanged. Additionally, the residual dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is lower than the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) limit for class 3 solvents. The dissolution rate of processed vitexin was significantly higher (5.58-fold) than that of raw drug. Overall, the combinative process we developed is an effective way to produce vitexin nanoparticles with markedly enhanced dissolution rate. View Full-TextKeywords:
nanotechnology; nanoparticles; vitexin; dissolution rate
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Gu, C.; Liu, Z.; Yuan, X.; Li, W.; Zu, Y.; Fu, Y. Preparation of Vitexin Nanoparticles by Combining the Antisolvent Precipitation and High Pressure Homogenization Approaches Followed by Lyophilization for Dissolution Rate Enhancement. Molecules 2017, 22, 2038.
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