Stability of praziquantel aqueous suspensions for human use. An electrokinetic approach

B. CLARES; A. V. DELGADO; N.A. MARTINEZ; J. L. ARIAS MEDIANO

GRANADA

Congreso; 11th World Meeting on Pharmaceutics, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology; 2018

The treatment of helmintic diseases is a public health subject of great importance in tropical countries. Praziquantel (PZQ) is a broad spectrum antihelmintic and has proved to be especially useful in the treatment of schistosome infections [1-2]. Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic parasitic disease caused by blood flukes (trematode worms) of the genus Schistosoma. Estimates show that at least 206 million people required preventive treatment in 2016 [3]. Although it is the drug of choice in the treatment of this disease, there is no alternative dosage form available that is suitable for paediatrics. There is a lack of paediatric acceptable dosage forms for most neglected tropical diseases as the majority of oral dosage forms are designed for adult patients and lacks in dosing flexibility [4-5]. PZQ is included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children [6]. It is a widely used compound, little is known about its colloidal behaviour, which may be important to understand its adhesion and aggregation characteristics, key parameters to be taken into account in such kind of formulations. For sure the electrokinetics of the colloid will also play an essential role in the stability of the system. Hence, the need for a clear elucidation of the surface electrical charge of the particles and its dependence on the composition of the dispersion media. In this research project, our aim is to perform an analysis of the electrokinetic properties of PZQ, with the purpose of obtaining information about the colloidal stability of its aqueous dispersions. In this line, the effect of both, the ionic strength and the pH on the electrophoretic properties of the colloid was investigated. Such a study will be, in order to clarify the best formulation aspects of an oral dosage form that will facilitate the administration of exact doses to human.