Abstract

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHYTOSOMES CONTAINING METHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF NYMPHAEA NOUCHALI AND TRICHOSANTHES DIOICA

A. Sumathi* and R. Senthamarai

Abstract

Phytosome represents a promising vesicular drug delivery system to deliver therapeutic compounds for a wide range of possible applications. Nymphaea nouchali (Nn), Indian Red Water Lily, is a water lily of genus Nymphaea. It is considered as a medicinal plant in Indian Ayurvedic medicine under the name Ambal; it was mainly used to treat indigestion and various ailments. Trichosanthes dioica (Td), cultivated widely in eastern India, has been used for overcoming problems like constipation, fever, skin infection, wounds, abdominal disorders and leprosy. Phytosome is obtained by reacting phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) in tetrahydrofuran with the selected botanical derivatives in dioxane:methanol (7:3) solvent system. Different Nn/Td:PE molar ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:6, 1:8 and 1:10) were employed using solvent evaporation technique. In vitro appraisal encompassed differential calorimetry, infra red spectroscopy, particle size, drug content, diffusion and stability studies. The results revealed that the optimized phytosomal carriers, PE(Nn/Td) exhibited the mean particle size of 268 nm and good in vitro stability in the ratio of 1:8. It also exhibited significant enhancement in diffusion rate compared to crude drug mixture and standard (Levimasole). Thus, the phytosomal carrier (PE) with 89 % of entrapped drug could be successfully tailored for Nn/Td with improved in vitro release characteristics which is promising for increasing drug delivery and decreasing the effect of exogenous factors.

Keywords: Nymphaea nouchali, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phytosomes, Trichosanthes dioica.