Development and Characterization of a Zeolite Based Drug Delivery System

Abstract

The growing interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) has led to the need for effective and reliable delivery methods that overcome its low oral absorption. Zeolites, a class of porous nanoparticles, offer unique advantages as drug carriers due to their high surface area and adjustable pore size. In this study, a zeolite-based drug delivery system was developed for the encapsulation of CBD. The zeolite particles were characterized before and after loading using various techniques including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The drug encapsulation efficiency, and the release profile of CBD from the zeolite matrix were evaluated in addition to in vitro dissolution experiments in the intestinal and gastric simulated fluids. The results showed that the loaded zeolite particles exhibited high encapsulation efficiency of 73.5 %. When compared to CBD containing particles in a commercialized capsule, the in-vitro dissolution rate of CBD loaded zeolite was significantly higher after 30 minutes in the simulated stomach (pH 1.8) and the intestinal (pH 6.8) fluids, 67.8 % versus 43.6% and 62.6 % vs 38.4 % respectively. Our findings open new avenues for the use of zeolites as an efficient drug delivery system for drugs with low bioavailability similar to CBD.