Supercritical fluid impregnation of microcrystalline cellulose derived from the agricultural waste with ibuprofen

The present study was aimed to investigate the feasibility of loading microcrystalline cellulose derived from the agricultural waste with poorly water-soluble drug by using supercritical carbon dioxide as impregnation medium. Operating parameters of supercritical impregnation process (pressure, temperature and time) were varied to in order to maximize loading of ibuprofen used as a model drug into microcrystalline cellulose. The efficiency of ibuprofen loading using supercritical impregnation and release kinetics studies of microcrystalline cellulose in two pharmaceutical forms, powder and tablets, were investigated. The highest amount of ibuprofen was impregnated in microcrystalline cellulose powder by using supercritical impregnation at 25 MPa and 40 °C for 24 h (9.43%). Increasing pressure in the range of 10 MPa–25 MPa and time from 2 h to 24 h favours loading of ibuprofen into microcrystalline cellulose. A higher loading efficiency at the same impregnation conditions was observed for powdered microcrystalline cellulose. Temperature change in range of 40–60 °C had negligible influence on loading efficiency. FT-IR spectroscopy analysis showed no evidence of chemical modification of microcrystalline cellulose after processing. In vitro drug release study showed that impregnated powder formulations released the total amount of ibuprofen immediately, while the impregnation of microcrystalline cellulose powder in the form of tablets led to the achievement of the sustained release profile. [Display omitted] •Microcrystalline cellulose as a suitable matrix for supercritical impregnation of ibuprofen.•Different operating conditions of impregnation led to different drug loadings.•Supercritical impregnation strongly influenced by pressure.•Higher loadings when microcrystalline cellulose is in form of powder than tablets.•Impregnated tablets led to the sustained release profile.