Characterization of Itraconazole Solid Dispersions: Comparative Analysis of Supercritical CO2 and Electrospinning Preparation Methods

The poor solubility of active compounds and the stability of solid dispersions containing processed drugs are among the main challenges in pharmaceutical research. This study investigates the potential for improving the solubility of itraconazole (ITR) through solid dispersion formulations using two different carriers (Polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 and Eudragit E 100) at two API : polymer weight ratios (1:2 and 1:5). Two different solvent-based methods for preparing solid dispersions – supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) and electrospinning (Esp) – were introduced. The results confirmed improvement in ITR solubility and dissolution, as well as changes in particle shape and size for both weight ratio formulations. After processing, a decrease in ITR crystallinity was observed. The results indicated that an increased amount of carriers led to better results. Consequently, these formulations were selected for stability studies. The samples were packed into aluminum sachets and stored in climate chambers under long-term (25°C, 60%RH) and accelerated (40°C, 75%RH) conditions for one month. We demonstrated the scCO2 samples were resistant to storage; neither the temperature nor humidity affected the properties of solid dispersions. In contrast, samples obtained via electrospinning were more sensitive to storage conditions.