Etoricoxib is a selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor with limited aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability. The present study aimed to develop a ginger oil-based solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system to improve the oral bioavailability of etoricoxib. Excipients were screened based on solubility and miscibility, and formulation optimization was performed using a quality by design approach. The optimized liquid self-nanoemulsifying system was prepared and later converted into a solid system using the liquisolid technique. The optimized liquid self-nanoemulsifying system showed a droplet size of 92.54 ± 3.98 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.208 ± 0.012, a transmittance of 96.12 ± 1.12%, a zeta potential of −10.28 ± 0.88 mV, and rapid self-emulsification within 45 s. The solid self-nanoemulsifying system exhibited spherical morphology and preserved nanoemulsion characteristics upon reconstitution. In vitro release studies demonstrated a 2.13-fold increase in etoricoxib release compared to drug suspension. Pharmacokinetic evaluation in Wistar rats showed significantly higher peak plasma concentration and area under the curve for the solid self-nanoemulsifying system compared to etoricoxib suspension. These findings confirm that the ginger oil-based solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system is a pharmaceutically viable strategy for enhancing the oral bioavailability of etoricoxib.
Adnan Burhan Qader (Wed,) studied this question.