Chandrasekhar R Bonepally1,
Sai Jyothsna Gandey1,
Krishnaveni Bommineni1,
Krishna Mohan Gottumukkala2,
Jithan Aukunuru3 
For correspondence:- Jithan Aukunuru Email: aukunjv@gmail.com
Received: 17 November 2011 Accepted: 25 November 2012 Published: 21 February 2013
Citation: Bonepally CR, Gandey SJ, Bommineni K, Gottumukkala KM, Aukunuru J. Preparation, Characterisation and In Vivo Evaluation of Silybin Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Liver Fibrosis. Trop J Pharm Res 2013; 12(1):1-6 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v12i1.1
© 2013 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..
Purpose: To formulate and characterize nanoparticles containing silybin, and evaluate their activity against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver toxicity.
Methods: Silybin nanoparticles were formulated by o/w emulsion solvent evaporation technique using poly-ε-caprolactone as polymer. Four different nanoparticle formulations (NP1, NP2, NP3 and NP4) were prepared by varying the drug/polymer ratio. The particles were characterized for particle size, drug content and in vitro drug release. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the silybin formulations in male Wistar rats were evaluated following i.v. administration, using silybin solution as reference. The hepatoprotective activity of the formulations was also determined in a CCl4-treated rat model.
Results: Silybin nanoparticles were successfully prepared using o/w emulsion solvent evaporation technique. The nanoparticles sustained the release of the drug both in vitro and in vivo for up to 10 days and offered better pharmacokinetic properties than the free drug itself. Intravenous nanoparticulate administration reversed serum liver enzyme levels by 95 % compared to only 50 % for the drug solution.
Conclusion: The developed silybin nanoparticles showed superior pharmacokinetic properties and hepatoprotective activity to silybin solution.
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