Formulation and Evaluation of Rifampicin Liposomes for Buccal Drug Delivery

Background: Drug delivery through liposomes offers several advantages, but still challenging to the researchers for the use of liposomes as carriers in drug delivery due to their poor physical stability, unpredictable drug encapsulation and systemic availability of the loaded drug. Objective: The present investigation was planned with an objective to prepare Rifampicin loaded liposomes by using response surface methodology of statistical 32 factorial design and further to formulate them into pastilles for deliver through buccal route thereby to enhance systemic absorption. Methods: Rifampicin liposomes were prepared by using different ratios of soya lecithin and cholesterol by solvent Injection method. These liposomes were characterized by using optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and evaluated for particle size, entrapment efficiency (EE), in vitro and ex vivo drug release. Results: Main effects and interaction terms of the formulation variables were evaluated quantitatively using a mathematical statistical model approach showing that both independent variables have significant (P value < 0.05) effects on particle size (P value: 0.0273), percentage entrapment efficiency (P value: 0.0096), percentage drug release through dialysis membrane (P value: 0.0047) and percentage drug release through porcine buccal membrane (P value: 0.0019). Conclusion: The statistical factorial design of liposomal formulations fulfilled all the requirements of the target set and exhibited suitable values for the selected test parameters. Pastilles were prepared for liposomes using glycerol gelatin base and were found to be soft, smooth with uniform drug content and drug release.