Optimization on Formulation of the Matrine Noisomes by Box-Behnken Design and Response Surface Methodology

OBJECTIVE To optimize the formulation of matrine niosomes by Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology. METHODS The matrine niosomes were prepared by the reverse-phase evaporation technique. The effects of the factors, such as the quality rate of sorbitan nonostearate and cholesterol, the quality rate of drug and lipid, the volume rate of organic phase and aqueous phase, on the entrapment efficiency, the drug loading rate were evaluated and optimized by Box-Behnken design. The mathematical relationship between the indexes and the factors was described by using the two polynomial model. RESULTS The optimal formulation was as follows: the ratio of sorbitan nonostearate and cholesterol was 2.64∶1, the ratio of drug to lipid was 1∶5.15, and the ratio of organic phase to aqueous phase 5∶1. In the optimized matrine niosomes formulation, the entrapment efficiency was 46.02%, the drug loading rate was13.20%. CONCLUSION Each index of the optimized matrine niosomes formulation is well fitted with the predicted value. Therefore, the adopted model is reasonable and effective.