Inulin and poly(acrylic acid) grafted inulin for dissolution enhancement and preliminary controlled release of poorly water-soluble Irbesartan drug

In this article, inulin and poly(acrylic acid) grafted inulin copolymer were used to enhance the dissolution of poorly water-soluble Irbesartan drug and to control its drug release rate, respectively. Topological structure of inulin showed sleazy separable flower-like platelets and granules accumulated above each other, which adapt it to physically bind Irbesartan drug and enhance its dissolution. Consequently, the increase of inulin content in the polymeric matrix was found to increase the drug dissolution gradually until it reaches its maximum (similar to 90%) within the first 60 min. The release rate had followed zero-order transport mechanism. On the other hand, the poly(acrylic acid) grafted inulin copolymer, characterized using H-1 NMR, FTIR, TGA, and SEM techniques, was found to form highly consistent amorphous systems of two-dimensional surfaces with some voids topology. Such features adapted it to control Irbesartan drug dissolution (similar to 33%) and show Fickian diffusion mechanism. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.