Influence of pegylation and active loading on the physicochemical properties of soy-liposomes containing chloroquine and cetirizine

Malaria and allergic conditions represent significant global health challenges, necessitating the development of more effective therapeutic interventions. This paper investigated the effects of composition and method of loading on the physicochemical properties of a liposomal delivery system. Liposomes were prepared by the solvent evaporation technique using both passive and active loading techniques. Physicochemical properties of the resulting liposomes, including particle size, entrapment efficiency, loading capacity, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and drug release, were studied using appropriate instrumental techniques. Active loading and pegylation decreased the particle size (and decreased the polydispersity) and generally improved the entrapment efficiency of both drugs. A greater percentage of cetirizine HCl (CZ) was released than that of chloroquine phosphate (CQ) in the 12 hours of dissolution testing, indicating potential differences in encapsulation sites within the liposome. The release kinetics fit a Hixon–Crowell release model. Pegylation and active loading proved to be effective strategies for preparing liposomes co-loaded with chloroquine and cetirizine. These findings underscored the potential of pegylated liposomal formulations with active drug loading as promising candidates for the targeted delivery of chloroquine and cetirizine, offering opportunities for more efficacious therapeutic strategies against malaria and allergic conditions.