Preparation, characterization and in vitro dissolution of aceclofenac-loaded PVP solid dispersions prepared by spray drying or rotary evaporation method

This study was conducted to enhance dissolution rate of aceclofenac (ACF) with extremely low solubility and high permeability (BCS class II) in water using poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and sodium lauryl sulfate as carriers. Solid dispersions were prepared by spray drying method and rotary evaporation method using different ratios of ACF and polymers. The characterization of solid dispersions was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffractometer. The dissolution behavior of solid dispersions was compared with pure ACF (API) and Airtal^® (Deawoong, Co, Korea) as control groups in simulated phosphate buffer at pH 6.8. The dissolution rate of the drug was affected by nature and amount of polymer used. The prepared solid dispersion of ACF/PVP (1:5) appeared to have the highest dissolution rate. Therefore, solid dispersion techniques of spray drying and rotary evaporation method can be successfully used for the enhancement of the dissolution rate of ACF.