PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF PIROXICAM - PLURONIC SOLID DISPERSIONS

With an objective of enhancing the dissolution rate of piroxicam (PXM), solid dispersions
(SDs) of piroxicam were prepared using different grades of pluronic F-68 (Pl. F-68), pluronic
F-98 (Pl. F-98), and pluronic F-127 (Pl. F-127) adopting the solvent evaporation technique.
The solid dispersions were prepared at different (drug: polymer) ratio (1:1, 1:3 and 1:5).
Piroxicam- pluronic solid dispersions were investigated by inferared spectroscopy (IR), x-ray
diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The IR spectra prevailed no
chemical interaction between the drug and copolymer. The powder x-ray diffraction (XRD)
patterns and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms demonstrated that
piroxicam was existed in a solid solution state in the SD. Phase diagram for solid dispersion of
piroxicam in pluronic F-98 indicated that the solid solution of piroxicam was obtained at a
concentration of PXM less than 35% in the SD. The stability study was carried out for the solid
dispersion prepared at 1:1 (piroxicam/ Pl. F-98) at 40 ° for 40 weeks prevailed that; the drug is
stable during the storage period in the dispersion. The solubility study of piroxicam was carried
out at different concentrations of pluronics, also the dissolution rate of the drug was improved
either by physical mixture or the solid dispersions.