UTILIZATION OF LYOPHILIZED LECIPLEXFOR AUGMENTING THE ORAL DELIVERY OF TENOFOVIR ALAFENAMIDE FUMARATE; STATISTICAL DESIGN, AND PHARMACOKINETIC EVALUATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2026v18i4.58365Keywords:
Leciplex, Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate, Antiviral, D-optimal design, In vivo studyAbstract
Objective: This study aims to fabricate an oral drug delivery approach of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) for managing viral infection using TAF-loaded leciplex.
Methods: Leciplex was assembled via a single one-step method and optimized via D-optimal design. The leciplex was characterized by its entrapment efficiency (EE%), vesicle size (VS), polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ZP). The optimum leciplex formulation consisted of 1:1.5 phospholipid G90: cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB).
Results: The optimum leciplex possessed VS, PDI, EE%, and ZP of 318.00±14.06 nm, 0.477±0.005, 90.45±1.03% and28.00 ± 1.20 mV, respectively. The optimum leciplex was lyophilized using mannitol then characterized, where no significant difference was revealed compared to optimum leciplex. The in vitro release assessment showed an enhanced release profile from the optimum lyophilized leciplex compared to the TAF suspension. The scanning electron microscope proved the alteration of TAF to an amorphous form within the optimum lyophilized TAF-loaded leciplex construction. The effect of storage at 4±0.5 ℃ suggested the maintenance of the optimum lyophilized leciplex integrity for up to three months. The pharmacokinetic study using male Albino rabbits showed that the optimum lyophilized leciplex possessed significantly higher Cmax and AUC0–24values relative to TAF capsule, with a relative bioavailability equals to 235.12%.
Conclusion: These results established the capability of optimum lyophilized TAF-loaded leciplex as a nanosystem for treating viral infections.
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