Preparation, Characterization and In Vitro Release Study of Liposomes Loaded with Artemether

The purpose of the study was to prepare and evaluate liposomes containing Artemether, a lipophilic drug having short half life of 2-3hrs after oral administration. Thin film hydration method was used for the preparation of artemether-encapsulated conventional and PEGylated liposomal suspensions using various drug: lipid ratio and their characteristics, such as particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro drug release were investigated. The drug encapsulation efficiency of PEGylated liposomes was high when compared to conventional liposomes. The average particle size of both conventional and PEGylated liposomes was obtained in nanometers with PDI ranging from 0-0.356. Zeta potential of conventional liposomes was found to be more negative when compared to PEGylated liposomes. In-vitro drug diffusion studies was carried for period of 16 hrs where PEGylated liposomal formulation showed more sustained release compared to conventional liposomes. The conventional and PEGylated liposomal formulations followed zero order and Higuchi kinetics respectively. The artemether containing liposomes were successfully formulated and evaluated.