Formulation and in vitro evaluation of meloxicam as a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system

Background: The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication meloxicam (MLX) belongs to the oxicam family and is used to reduce inflammation and pain. The aim of this study was to improve MLX's dispersibility and stability by producing it as a liquid self-microemulsifying drug delivery system since it is practically insoluble in water. Methods: Five different formulations were made by adjusting the amounts of propylene glycol, Transcutol P, Tween 80, and oleic acid oil and establishing a pseudo-ternary diagram in ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and 3:4, respectively. All of the prepared formulations were tested for a variety of properties, including thermodynamic stability, polydispersity index, particle size distributions, dilution resistance, drug contents, dispersibility, in vitro solubility of the drug, and emulsification time. Results: F5 was chosen as the optimal MLX liquid self-microemulsion due to its higher drug content (99.8%), greater in vitro release (100% at 40 min), smaller droplet size (63 nm), lower polydispersity index (PDI) value (0.3), and higher stability (a zeta potential of -81 mV). Conclusions: According to the data provided here, the self-microemulsifying drug delivery system is the most practical method for improving the dispersibility and stability of MLX.