Optimization of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers of Fenofibrate Using a Box-Behnken Design for Oral Bioavailability Enhancement

Background: Fenofibrate (FNB) is a commonly used hypolipidemic agent. However, the oral bioavailability of FNB is limited by slow dissolution due to its low solubility. Thus, investigations on novel FNB formulations are necessary for their use. Objective: The objective of this study is to enhance the oral bioavailability of FNB using optimized Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (NLC) formulations. Methods: Hot homogenization followed by ultrasonication was used to prepare FNB-NLCs. These formulations were optimized using a Box-Behnken design, where the amount of FNB (X1), a ratio of solid lipid/liquid lipid (X2), and the percentage of emulsifier (X3) were set as independent variables, while the particle size (Y1), and Entrapment Efficiency (EE%) (Y2), were used as dependent factors. An in vitro dissolution test was then performed using a paddle method, while an in vivo pharmacokinetic study of FNB-NLC formulation was performed in rats. Results: FNB-NLCs were successfully prepared and optimized using a Box-Behnken design. The particle size and EE% of the FNB-NLC had less than 5% difference from predicted values. The in vitro dissolution and oral bioavailability of the FNB-NLC were both higher than those of raw FNB. Conclusion: A Box-Behnken design was successfully applied to optimize FNB-NLC formulation for the enhancement of the dissolution and bioavailability of FNB, a poorly water-soluble drug.