Preparation and dissolution characteristics of griseofulvin solid dispersions with saccharides.

To improve the solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs, we studied physical characteristics of griseofulvin (GF) solid dispersions with saccharides as the dispersion carrier using a roll mixing method. In all carriers tested, roll mixtures of GF and saccharides gradually became amorphous, and the solubility of GF increased. The solubility of GF was higher in the mixtures with higher molecular weight carriers such as corn starch and processed starch. The dissolution of GF was markedly improved by the GF-Britishgum roll mixture. The initial dissolution rate of these mixtures was 170-fold higher than GF alone. The surface tension of carrier aqueous solutions was low in the processed starch with branched sugar chains. The initial dissolution rate of GF in physical mixtures was correlated with the surface tension of carrier aqueous solutions. The stability of the amorphous state of GF at a high humidity was maintained in the mixtures with carriers with a high molecular weight. These results indicated that the solubility of GF was markedly improved in the roll mixtures. It was suggested that the saccharides with a high molecular weight are useful carriers for solid dispersions.