Preparation of Eutectic Mixture of Ketoprofen and Nicotinamide for Enhanced Dissolution Rate

To enhance the dissolution rate of ketoprofen, a poorly water-soluble drug, eutectic mixture of ketoprofen with nicotinamide had been prepared by melting technique. The binary phase diagram was constructed to determine the eutectic composition of the binary mixture. The physicochemical properties of this eutectic mixture were investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The in vitro dissolution rate was determined by using USP type II dissolution test apparatus. The binary phase diagram revealed that ketoprofen and nicotinamide produced a simple eutectic mixture at molar fraction of 0.6 : 0.4. This result was also supported by the PXRD pattern. The FT-IR spectra and DTA analysis indicated there was no chemical interaction between ketoprofen and nicotinamide in the solid state. The dissolution rate of the eutectic mixture was significantly improved as compared with intact ketoprofen and its physical mixture.