Lornoxicam Loaded Transfersomes: Formulation And Evaluation

Transfersomes loaded with lornoxicam, a potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, were developed by thin film hydration method for transdermal delivery of lornoxicam. The composition of phospholipid (soya lecithin), edge activator (span 80) and the drug (lornoxicam) was optimized based on vesicle size and entrapment efficiency. The optimized formulation was compared with lornoxicam loaded vesicles without the edge activator. The developed transfersomes of lornoxicam and lornoxicam loaded vesicles without edge activator were compared for in vitro permeation of lornoxicam through dialysis membrane and for ex vivo permeation through porcine ear skin. The average vesicle diameter of the optimized formulation was 678 nm with average drug entrapment efficiency of 65.3%. The in vitro flux obtained for the optimized formulation was 79.1µg/cm2/h while that for formulation without edge activator was found to be 70.2µg/cm2/hr. The ex vivo flux of lornoxicam through porcine ear skin obtained for optimized formulation of lornoxicam loaded transfersomes was 13.2µg/cm2/h while that for formulation without edge activator was 7.5µg/cm2/h. The developed transfersomal formulation was stable on storage for 30 days at 4 ± 1o C with respect to drug content and vesicle size.