Enhancement of Solubility of Mefenamic Acid by Hydrotrop Based Solid Dispersion

Abstract

Therapeutically active substances are often associated with bio-availability problems due to lower solubility, these leads to lack of in-vivo and in-vitro correlation, poor patient compliance and inter subject variations. Mefenamic acid (MFA)is an anthranilic acid derivatives (or fenamate) class of NSAID drugs and is used to treat mild to moderate pain, including menstrual pain, and is sometimes used to prevent migraines associated with menstruation. But it is sparingly soluble in water. Present study was aimed to improve solubility of MFA. Among many methods of impoving solubilities, hydrotropic solublization method was used here. After extensive studies, from various hydrotrops, sodium citrate was shown most promising improvement on solubility. 0.5 M sodium citrate was optimized and its solid dispersion with mefenamic acid, dissolution studies had shown 62% increase in solubility of mefenamic acid as compare to pure drug.