FORMULATION, OPTIMIZATION AND EVALUATION OF IMATINIB MESYLATE NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop, optimize, and evaluate Imatinib mesylate nanoparticles using a Box-Behnken Design of Experiment (DoE). The independent factors considered were the drug-to-polymer ratio, stabilizer concentration, and stirring speed, while the dependent factors were entrapment efficiency and drug release characteristics. Imatinib mesylate nanoparticles were prepared through the solvent evaporation method using Ethyl cellulose as the polymer and PVA as the stabilizer. The prepared nanoparticles underwent characterization for percentage yield, drug content, entrapment efficiency, particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, FTIR, DSC, SEM, and in-vitro drug release profiles. Evaluation results demonstrated promising entrapment efficiency, favourable zeta potential, optimal particle size, and prolonged drug release. FTIR and DSC studies indicated no interaction between the drug and excipients. The optimized formulation exhibited high entrapment efficiency (99.3%) and sustained drug release (97.42%) for a 24-hour duration, following zero-order release kinetics and a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. These findings suggest that Imatinib mesylate nanoparticles hold potential as effective drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia.