Brain-targeted nasal clonazepam microspheres

Gelatin-chitosan mucoadhesive microspheres of clonazepam were prepared using the emulsion cross linking method. Mirospheres were evaluated using the in vitro and ex vivo drug release patterns. In vivo CNS drug distribution studies were carried out in rats by administering the clonazepam microspheres intra-nasally and clonazepam solution intravenously. From the drug levels in plasma and CSF, drug targeting index and drug targeting efficiency were calculated. Results obtained indicated that intranasally administered clonazepam microspheres resulted in higher brain levels with a drug targeting index of 2.12. Gelatin-chitosan cross linked mucoadhesive microspheres have the potential to be developed as a brain-targeted drug delivery system for clonazepam.