Asian Journal of Pharmacy and Technology

Novel solubility enhancement technique; liquisolid compact technique is used in present research work. Ritonavir is poorly soluble drug was formulated using Avicel pH 102 and Aerosil 200 as carrier and coating material respectively. Solubility studies were conducted in different liquid vehicles, namely propylene glycol, span 20, PEG 400, tween 20, and PEG 200. From the result of saturation solubility study the liquisolid compacts were formulated using PEG 400 as non volatile vehicle. The ritonavir liquisolid formulations were obtained by allowing liquid vehicle with varying ritonavir concentration to get absorbed onto carrier and coating material taken at different ratio (R=5, 10, 15, 20). Then the ritonavir liquisolid powder system evaluated for flow property determination and then compressed into tablet. Each batch of prepared ritonavir Liquisolid powder compact evaluated for Quality control tests, i.e. uniformity of tablet weight, uniformity of drug content, tablet hardness, friability test, disintegration and dissolution study. Optimized batch of Liquisolid powder compact evaluated for quality control test of tablet along with FTIR, DSC and PXRD study. The tableting properties of the liquisolid compacts were within the acceptable limits and in vitro drug release rate of LS compacts were distinctly higher as compared to directly compressible tablet and pure drug alone. This was due to an increase in wetting properties and surface of drug available for dissolution. FTIR study result indicates that there is no drug excipient interaction. DSC and PXRD study suggested loss of ritonavir crystallinity upon liquisolid formulation, it indicates that drug is held within the power substrate in a solubilized, almost molecularly dispersed state, which lead to enhanced drug solubility. From significant result of solubility of ritonavir, liquisolid technique would be promising solubility enhancement technique for various poorly soluble drugs.