Overcoming Solubility Challenges of Griseofulvin: Development of Melt-Spun Solid Dispersions using Sucrose and Lactose as Carriers

The limited water solubility of many drugs hinders their absorption in the body, significantly reducing their effectiveness. Centrifugal melt spinning (CMS), a simple and cost-effective technique, emerges as a promising solution by generating microfibers with enhanced solubility and dissolution rates. Micro-fibrous solid dispersions containing 10% w/w griseofulvin were prepared with sucrose and lactose using a modified cotton candy device. Drug release studies revealed that microfibers containing sucrose and lactose released significantly higher amounts of griseofulvin compared to pure drugs. Notably, 94.98 ± 0.61% and 91.47 ± 0.52% of the drug were released from sucrose and lactose microfibers, respectively, within just 5 minutes., significantly exceeding the release achieved by pure drug and physical mixtures. Sucrose microfibers achieved a remarkable 3.21-fold increase in griseofulvin’s solubility compared to the pure drug. Lactose microfibers also demonstrated a significant improvement, with a 2.38-fold increase in solubility. Notably, the drug-encapsulated sucrose and lactose microfibers exhibited a Bead-deficient, Homogeneous appearance with diameters of 12.34 ± 3.7 µm and 28.75 ± 7.24 µm respectively. CMS successfully transformed both the drug and carriers into a more hydrophilic amorphous state, as confirmed by subsequent calorimetric and crystallographic analysis. This study highlights the potential of centrifugal melt spinning (CMS) as a versatile platform for generating microfibers with markedly enhanced dissolution properties for poorly water-soluble drugs such as griseofulvin while sucrose and lactose serve as potential carriers for the production of microfibers.