Solubilization Effect of Anionic, Cationic and Nonionic Surfactants on Coenzyme Q10 Solid Dispersion

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an oil-soluble vitamin-like benzoquinone compound. Coenzyme Q10 plays a role in providing membrane stability, energy conversion and ATP production. It is also one of the important antioxidants in the body. The bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 is very low due to its low solubility in water and its large molecular mass. Among the solubility enhancement approaches, solid dispersions (SDs) are one of the most promising strategies. The use of suitable carrier and methodology plays a significant role in the biological response. In terms of a carrier, solid dispersions are classified broadly the third group. Surfactant-based SDs are called third-generation solid dispersions. To evaluate the surfactant effect on solubilization of CoQ10, three different surfactants of varying ratios between 1:1, 1:3 and 1:5 (w/w) were used namely sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) (anionic), cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) (cationic) and Pluronic F127 (non-ionic). CoQ10 solid dispersions were characterized in terms of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, FTIR spectroscopy, DSC analysis, saturation solubility and in vitro dissolution studies. To compare dissolution rate, area under the dissolution curve (AUC), Mean Dissolution Time (MDT), mean residence time of the drug substance molecules in the dosage form (MRT), and dissolutio nefficiency % (DE%) were calculated. All the formulations showed improvement in the aqueous solubility, while the dissolution rate was increased only by Pluronic F127 (p<0.05). Among the surfactants, Pluronic F127-based SDs were found superior to other surfactants. The results revealed that surfactant-based SDs offered great success in improving the therapeutic efficacy of CoQ10.