Development Of Oral Piperaquine Nanoparticles: A Study On Formulation, Characterization And In-Vivo Performance

BACKGROUND: Piperaquine (PQ) is an anti-malarial bisquinoline BCS Class-II drug having low aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability, which affects its therapeutic effectiveness. Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology has proved its potential to overcome the challenges associated with poorly water-soluble drugs. OBJECTIVES: The fabrication of Piperaquine nanoparticles (PQ-NPs) through the antisolvent technique with subsequent characterization to improve the dissolution and bioavailability was the primary objective. METHODS: PQ-NPs were prepared using anti-solvent precipitation Method. The polymers hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) of 0.25%, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-K30) of 0.25 %, and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) of 0.5 % were used as stabilizers. The Particle size, PDI, zetapotential, DSC, XRD, SEM, In-vitro dissolution, and in vivo study were performed for characterization of PQ-NPs. RESULTS: : 1.0 ± 0.3 hr vs 1.5 ± 0.3 hr, AUC: 1.119 µg.hr/ml vs. 0.954 µg.hr/ml. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that PQ-NP were successfully fabricated, having substantial improvements in solubility, dissolution rate, and bioavailability, making them a promising approach for enhancing the therapeutic performance.