research Development and Characterization of In Situ Gelling Nasal Cilostazol Spanlastics
The study focused on developing cilostazol-loaded spanlastics (CIL-SPA) for enhanced nose-to-brain delivery, addressing cilostazol's low solubility and absorption issues. The optimized formulations, incorporated into Phytagel®, Poloxamer-407, and chitosan gel bases, demonstrated favorable colloidal properties, high encapsulation efficiency (>99%), and met nasal droplet size requirements. They exhibited strong mucoadhesive properties and significantly improved cilostazol flux and permeability in vitro compared to the initial drug. The formulations released nearly 100% of cilostazol within 2 hours, suggesting their potential to enhance cilostazol's bioavailability for cerebrovascular treatment.
