Preparation and characterization of niosomes containing ribavirin for liver targeting

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Photographs of freshly prepared niosomes of molar ratios 1: 1: 0 (A), 4: 2: 0 (B), 1: 1: 0.1 (C) and 4: 2: 1 (D) of span 60: cholesterol: dicetyl phosphate.

Table 1.  Characterization of ribavirin niosomes.

Molar ratio (SP:CH:DCP)	Particle size of 90% of the particles (M ± SD μm, n = 3)	Polydispersity index (PI)	Ribavirin entrapment % (M ± SD, n = 6)
1:1:0	0.97 ± 0.166	0.171	5.20 ± 1.08
4:2:0	0.94 ± 0.179	0.190	4.89 ± 0.92
1:1:0.1	1.01 ± 0.283	0.280	7.00 ± 0.81
4:2:1	0.85 ± 0.236	0.277	14.40 ± 2.3

SD = Standard deviation; PI = Polydispersity index obtained as PI = (SD/mean particle size).

Figure 2.  In vitro release profiles of ribavirin from niosomes of different molar ratios 1: 1: 0 (A), 4: 2: 0 (B), 1: 1: 0.1 (C) and 4: 2: 1 (D) of span 60: cholesterol: dicetyl phosphate.

Figure 3.  Mean ribavirin concentration in rat liver 4 hrs after intraperitoneal administration of a single dose (30 mg/kg) of free ribavirin solution and niosomal ribavirin dispersion.