Development of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Donepezil Hydrochloride Effective Nose to Brain Delivery

ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the development and evaluation of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for the efficient intranasal delivery of donepezil hydrochloride. The NLCs were prepared using the microemulsion technique. Each excipient used in the formulation was thoroughly evaluated for stability, assessing factors such as color change, phase separation, precipitation, and texture. Characterization of the NLCs included the construction of a pure calibration curve, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and the IR analysis of physical mixtures. The donepezil hydrochloride-loaded NLCs were then incorporated into a thermosensitive gel using Pluronic F127, which was also prepared using the microemulsion technique. The NLCs were further characterized by evaluating their zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and particle size. The thermosensitive gel's properties were assessed by measuring the gelation temperature and viscosity. Drug release studies were conducted using a dialysis membrane to compare the release profiles of the pure drug, donepezil-HCl-loaded NLCs, and the NLC-loaded thermosensitive gel, focusing on their potential for controlled drug release.