Mixed Micelle System Produced by Interaction Between Transglycosylated Stevia and an Ionic Surfactant Improves Dissolution Profile of Mefenamic Acid

Transglycosylated stevia (stevia-G) can effectively improve the dissolution and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Furthermore, addition of an ionic surfactant to stevia-G solution has been shown to enhance the dissolution effect of stevia-G on flurbiprofen. Herein, 4 surfactants, namely sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodiumN-dodecanoylsarcosinate, sodiummonododecyl phosphate, and lauryltrimethylammonium chloride (LTAC) were screened to investigate their synergistic effect with stevia-G in enhancing the solubility of mefenamic acid (MFA). The ternary formulation containing LTAC produced the highest increase in solubility, whereas the binary MFA/LTAC formulation did not increase the solubility of MFA. Surface tensionwas evaluated to analyze the interaction between stevia-G and each ionic surfactant, wherein the Rubingh model was applied to predict mixed micelle formation between stevia-G and LTAC. Interaction parameters calculated by theRubinghmodel reflected mixed micelleformationbetween stevia-G andLTAC relative tothe self-interactions of the 2 individual surfactants. All interactionparameters in this system showed negative values, indicating a favorable interaction (e.g., hydrogen bond or electrostatic and dipole) between binary components in the mixed micelles. Spray-dried particles of ternary formulations (MFA/stevia-G/LTAC) were prepared to evaluate the dissolution profile and physicochemical properties. Dissolution profiling showed that the concentration of MFA released from spray-dried particles was significantly higher than untreated MFA. (C) 2017 American Pharmacists Association (R). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.