Design and Evaluation of Sedds for Candesartan

Candesartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker widely used in the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular disorders. However, its poor aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability significantly limit its therapeutic effectiveness. The present study focuses on the design and evaluation of Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SEDDS) for Candesartan in order to enhance its solubility, dissolution rate, and oral bioavailability. SEDDS are isotropic mixtures of oils, surfactants, and co-surfactants which spontaneously form fine oil-in-water emulsions upon gentle agitation in gastrointestinal fluids. Various formulations were prepared using suitable oils, surfactants, and co-surfactants selected on the basis of solubility studies. The prepared formulations were evaluated for parameters such as visual assessment, emulsification time, droplet size, zeta potential, drug content, thermodynamicstability, viscosity, and in-vitro dissolution studies. The optimized formulation exhibited rapid self-emulsification, good stability, high drug loading capacity, and enhanced drug release compared to the pure drug. The study demonstrated that SEDDS can serve as an effective approach for improving the oral delivery and therapeutic efficacy of poorly water-soluble drugs like Candesartan.