LIQUISOLID COMPACT OF MECLIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE: DEVELOPMENT AND OPTIMIZATION USING FACTORIAL DESIGN

Objective: The study focuses on improving the dissolution rate of meclizine hydrochloride by developing a liquisolid compact. Methods: Meclizine hydrochloride is used to prevent motion sickness but has slow dissolution, requiring it to be taken an hour before travel. Various water-miscible solvents were examined to determine the drug's solubility, with propylene glycol showing the highest solubility. Avicel® PH 102 was chosen as the carrier, and Aerosil® 200 as the coating material. The formulation was optimized using Design Expert software and 32 factorial design was used to study the effects of factors: carrier and coating ratio(X1) and drug concentration in liquid medication (%Cd)(X2) on responses: %cumulative drug release at 20 min (Y1) and angle of repose (Y2). Results: The optimized formulation was selected using the software, with a carrier and coating ratio of 24.89 and drug concentration in liquid at 10.14% w/w. The optimized liquisolid tablet was evaluated for post-compression parameters and dissolution study. The drug was found to be non-crystalline based on Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, and the stability study showed no significant degradation. Conclusion: The findings indicate that liquisolid formulation can be a promising alternative to achieve rapid onset of action and dissolution enhancement for poorly water-soluble drugs such as meclizine hydrochloride.