FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF CUBOSOMES FOR ENHANCED DELIVERY OF APIGENIN

The present study focused on the formulation and evaluation of Apigenin-loaded cubosomes for enhanced drug delivery. Pre-formulation studies confirmed the suitability of Apigenin, which showed poor aqueous solubility, a melting point of 346°C, pH 6.4, and λmax at 327 nm. The formulation was optimized using a Box–Behnken Design (BBD) under Quality by Design (QbD) principles, with Glyceryl Monooleate (GMO), Poloxamer 407, and stirring time selected as critical formulation variables. The optimized formulation showed a particle size of 196.32 nm, zeta potential of −23.4 mV, and entrapment efficiency of 95.578%. SEM analysis revealed nearly spherical nanoparticles with a rough surface morphology. The optimized cubosomes exhibited sustained drug release, reaching 92.56% over 12 h. Drug release kinetics showed the best fit with the Zero-order model (R² = 0.951), indicating controlled drug release. Overall, the findings demonstrate that Apigenin-loaded cubosomes can provide a suitable lipid-based nanocarrier for improving the delivery of poorly water-soluble Apigenin.