Enhancing albendazole dissolution using SBA-15 carriers with uniform morphology and tunable textural properties

Abstract

Most existing drugs exhibit poor water solubility, limiting their dissolution and absorption. Consequently, enhancing their solubility and dissolution rates represents a major challenge in the development of oral delivery systems. Mesoporous silica materials are a promising strategy, as they can improve drug dissolution rates by its amorphization within their pores. As textural properties of mesoporous silica play a key role; these properties were varied by synthesizing three SBA-15 materials with the same morphology using different procedures. The mesoporous materials were loaded with the poorly water-soluble drug albendazole (ABZ). Two ABZ:SBA-15 ratios and two loading methods were evaluated. Regarding the influence of synthesis variables on the textural properties, as the aging temperature increases, the mesopore size increases. The increment of the ripening temperature led to the lowest surface area and micropore volume. The lowest calcination temperature resulted in the highest values for surface area, total pore volume and isolated silanols concentration. The highest ABZ:SBA-15 ratio led to the highest drug loading percentage (DL%, w/w), regardless of the loading method. SBA-15 synthesized with the highest -OH concentration and the maximum surface area and pore volume values showed the highest DL%. SBA-15 with the lowest surface area and pore diameter without micropores achieved the highest drug dissolution rate. These textural properties might limit the re-crystallization of the drug inside the pores. In addition, in this sample the lowest ABZ:SBA-15 ratio under study did not present peaks in the thermograms indicating drug amorphization within the pores.