Abstract
Poor physical and chemical stability associated with NLC formulation has been a concern and has taken away the initial attraction in formulating them. Recently it has been reported that the process of lyophilization has been beneficial in improving stability of NLCs (Nanostructured lipid carriers). In the present study Nanostructured lipid carriers of Docetaxel has been formulated using homogenization technique using stearic acid and oleic acid as lipids and soya bean lecithin and poloxamer as surfactant mixture. The optimized lyophilized and non-lyophilized NLCs of Docetaxel formulation was evaluated and compared for its physical stability. From the stability study it can be concluded that process of lyophilization and storage condition significantly influenced the shelf life. The lyophilized product upon storage at 40C, exhibited a long shelf life of 2.73 years. The shelf life of non-lyophilized product and products stored at room temperature was significantly lower. Hence the study concluded that the process of lyophilization significantly improved the stability of the NLC formulations. The stability results revealed that formulations are found to be stable at 40C rather than storage at room temp. Based on this, the study recommended that NLCs should be stored at 40C for the best stability and extended shelf life.
