Spanlastics as a Potential Approach for Enhancing the Nose-To-Brain Delivery of Piperine: In Vitro Prospect and In Vivo Therapeutic Efficacy for the Management of Epilepsy

The present study delineates the preparation of piperine-loaded spanlastics (PIP-SPL) to improve piperine (PIP) solubility, bioavailability, and permeation through nasal mucosa for intranasal delivery. PIP-SPL was formulated using the thin-film hydration method and optimization was performed using Box–Behnken design (BBD). PIP-SPL optimized formulation (PIP-SPLopt) was characterized for polydispersity index (PDI), vesicle size, entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, and in vitro PIP release. For further evaluation, blood–brain distribution study, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nasal permeation study, and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM) were performed withal. The PIP-SPLopt presented spherical and sealed shape vesicles with a small vesicle size of 152.4 nm, entrapment efficiency of 72.93%, PDI of 0.1118, and in vitro release of 82.32%. The CLSM study unveiled that the developed formulation has greater permeation of PIP across the nasal mucosa in comparison with the PIP suspension. The blood–brain distribution study demonstrated higher C(max) and AUC(0–24h) of PIP-SPL via the intranasal route in comparison to PIP-SPL via oral administration. The in vivo study revealed that the PIP-SPL has good antiepileptic potential in comparison with the standard diazepam, which was evinced by seizure activity, neuromuscular coordination by rotarod test, biochemical estimation of oxidative stress markers, and histopathological studies. Furthermore, nasal toxicity study confirm that the developed PIP-SPL formulation is safer for intranasal application. The current investigation corroborated that the prepared spanlastic vesicle formulation is a treasured carrier for the PIP intranasal delivery for the management of epilepsy.