Formulation and Characterization of Pomegranate Peel Extract-Loaded Phytosomes for Anti-diabetic Activity

Pomegranate, or Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae), is a plant with a variety of pharmacological characteristics. Also, pomegranate peel’s medicinal potential appears to be multifaceted due to its rich content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The study's objective was to create phytosomes of pomegranate peel extract to get over the drawback of low bioavailability. The phytosomes of pomegranate peel extract were developed by an antisolvent precipitation technique using soya lecithin as a lipid and n-hexane as an antisolvent. The formed phytosomes were examined for particle size, zeta potential, incorporation efficiency, and In-vitro dissolution study. The chemical and thermal stability of phytosomes were studied using FTIR analysis and Differential Scanning calorimetry. Pomegranate peel extract and phytosome formulation were also examined for oral acute toxicity study and antidiabetic study in low dose and high dose concentration. On the 28th day of treatment blood glucose level, cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were examined. The encapsulation efficiency of the optimized formulation was 86.37±0.21% with a particle size of 953.0±34.1nm. The production of phytosomes is verified by SEM pictures of the formulation. FTIR and DSC studies showed no interaction. The in vitro dissolution study showed 87.66±2.15% CDR which is greater than the peel extract 42.73±0.29% CDR. During the acute toxicity study, the animals' mortality was assessed, and no reported deaths were noted. There is a substantial decline in the amounts of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides observed when treated with bioactive extract and phytosomes. Evaluation results of phytosomes suggest that bioavailability can be improved by phytosome formulation. Also, Formulation can give effective results against diabetic conditions.