Design of Optimized Solid Lipid Nanoparticles of Montelukast Sodium and Assessment of Oral Bioavailability in Experimental Model

Introduction: The objective of the reported work was to develop Montelukast sodium (MS) solid lipid nanoparticles (MS-SLNs) to ameliorate its oral bio-absorption. Herein, the highpressure homogenization (HPH) principle was utilized for the fabrication of MS-SLNs. Method: The study encompasses a 23 full factorial statistical design approach where mean particle size (Y1) and percent entrapment efficiency (Y2) were screened as dependent variables while, the concentration of lipid (X1), surfactant (X2), and co-surfactant (X3) were screened as independent variables. The investigation of MS-SLNs by DSC and XRD studies unveiled the molecular dispersion of MS into the SLNs while TEM study showed the smooth surface of developed MSSLNs. The optimized MS-SLNs exhibited mean particle size (MPS) = 115.5 ± 1.27 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) = 0.256 ± 0.04, zeta potential (ζ) = -21.9 ± 0.32 mV and entrapment efficiency (EE) = 90.97 ± 1.12 %. The In vivo pharmacokinetic study performed in Albino Wistar rats revealed 2.87-fold increments in oral bioavailability. Results: The accelerated stability studies of optimized formulation showed good physical and chemical stability. The shelf life estimated for the developed MS-SLN was found to be 22.38 months. Conclusion: At the outset, the developed MS-SLNs formulation showed a significant increment in oral bioavailability and also exhibited excellent stability in exaggerated storage conditions.