Application of novel chitosan derivatives in dissolution enhancement of a poorly water soluble drug.

Solid dispersions of the poorly water soluble drug dexamethasone and newly synthesized chitosan derivatives (chitosan succinate, CS, and chitosan phthalate, CP) were prepared by spray drying. The resulting microspheres were evaluated in terms of their drug loading or encapsulation efficiency as well as drug release profile. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were used to evaluate the solid dispersion for possible interactions between drug and polymers. The pure drug was evaluated in the same manner for comparison purposes. High loading levels (>74%) were achieved using CP and CS as polymer matrices. Drug release rate was accelerated significantly upon the formation of the solid dispersions; the drug release rate was increased with increasing percentage of the chitosan derivatives in the microspheres. IR studies showed no chemical interaction while the X-ray studies showed a significant change in the crystallinity of the drug upon formation of solid dispersions.