Abstract
Strategy, Management and Health Policy Preclinical Research Flufenamic acid (FFA) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, spondylitis, and other disorders. The objective of this study was to enhance the dissolution rate of the drug by the solid dispersion in the matrices of Pluronic F-127 (PL) and Gelucire 50/13 (GL). Different drug?:?polymer ratios were selected for the preparation of FFA solid dispersions using solvent evaporation technique. The prepared FFA solid dispersions were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The dissolution study depicted that the presence of drug in solid dispersion enhances its dissolution as compared with the drug itself and the drug?:?polymer ratio 1:1 was superior in enhancing FFA dissolution rate from solid dispersions. The in vitro skin permeation from Carbopol 940 gel base through abdominal rat skin membranes was investigated. The data showed that FFA-PL followed by FFA-GL solid dispersion enhanced drug permeation through rat skin, while untreated drug showed slower permeation. Furthermore, FFA in its PL and GL solid dispersions exhibited a potent local anti-inflammatory activity against formalin-induced paw edema from Carbopol gel base compared with the untreated drug, and this activity reached its peak (96% and 84%, respectively) after 4?h.