Development of SMEDDS for Enhanced Delivery of Quercetin: Addressing Challenges in Ocular Inflammation Management

Abstract

Innovative drug delivery methods are required for effective treatment of ocular inflammation, which continues to be a major challenge in ophthalmic therapeutics. Despite its low aqueous solubility and bioavailability, quercetin a naturally occurring flavonoid with strong anti-inflammatory properties has potential for managing ocular inflammation. In this study, the effectiveness of quercetin delivered via a novel ocular self-micro emulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) was assessed. A UV-visible spectrophotometer was used in this experiment to determine the absorbance maxima (λmax) of quercetin. At pH 7.4, a phosphate buffer was used to create a calibration curve. An analysis was conducted using FT-IR spectroscopy to determine quercetin's compatibility with excipients. A formulation of Quercetin SMEDDS was created and assessed. The entrapment efficiency (%) was found to be 99.85%, viscosity 332.7cp, zeta potential -27.38 mV, droplet size 12.37 nm, invitro-drug release 89.55% in pH 7.4 Phosphate buffer solution. Results obtained from release kinetic study revealed that the drug release mechanism was found to be first order followed by Korsmeyer peppas kinetics. While stability study it was observed that, there were no appreciable changes in the formulation, and hence it was concluded that the formulation was thermodynamically stable. SMEDDS for quercetin exhibit good in vitro performance and encouraging formulation optimization, indicating potential for improved ocular delivery and the treatment of inflammatory conditions.