Synthesis of biocompatible triazole based non-ionic surfactant and its vesicular drug delivery investigation

Numerous nanotechnological approaches have been widely practiced to improve the bioavailability of less aqueous soluble drugs; phospholipid based vesicles (liposomes) being the most widely applied drug delivery system. However; due to stability issues, large scale production limitations, sterilization and long term storage problems; non-ionic surfactant based vesicles (niosomes) are considered their excellent counterparts. Niosomes are vesicles of non-ionic surfactants having the ability to carrying both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs in their inner aqueous or lipid bilayer compartments. In this research work, triazole based non-ionic surfactant (TBNIS) was synthesized and characterized by different spectroscopic techniques and then screened for biocompatibility using NIH 3T3 cell line, blood hemolysis assay and acute toxicity in mice. The synthesized surfactant was then checked for niosomes' formation, Amphotericin B loading and entrapment efficiency, drug release, stability and bioavailability of the drug was assessed and compared with free drug solution. The synthesized surfactant was found biocompatible and caused less blood hemolysis, greater cell vial ability and negligible toxicity in animals. The size of drug loaded niosomal vesicles of TBNIS based surfactant was 179.9 +/- 3.23 nm with smaller size distribution i.e. 0.29 +/- 0.02. The triazole based surfactant vesicles showed 88.76 +/- 3.45 % drug entrapment efficiency, sustained drug release profile and stability. The drug in TBNIS based vesicles has greater oral bioavailability 0.099 +/- 0.03 as compared to plan drug solution 0.012 +/- 0.023 mug/mL. Results of this study suggests that the newly synthesized triazole based surfactant can be used in drug delivery for improving bioavailability of less water soluble drugs like Amphotericin B.