Dapagliflozin is a poorly water-soluble antidiabetic drug with limited oral bioavailability, which can restrict its therapeutic performance. The present study aimed to develop and optimize an oral nanoemulsion of dapagliflozin to enhance its physicochemical properties and in-vitro drug release. A nanoemulsion was prepared using Capryol 90 as the oil phase, Tween 80 as the surfactant, and Transcutol P as the co-surfactant by the spontaneous emulsification method. Optimization was carried out using a Box–Behnken design to evaluate the effect of formulation variables on encapsulation efficiency, particle size, and in-vitro drug release. Statistical analysis revealed that oil concentration and surfactant concentration significantly influenced the responses. Numerical optimization using the desirability function identified an optimized formulation with high encapsulation efficiency (93.29%), reduced particle size (172.14 nm), and enhanced in-vitro drug release (80.30%), with an overall desirability of 0.935. Experimental validation of the optimized batch showed prediction errors within ±5%, confirming the robustness and predictive validity of the model. FTIR analysis demonstrated the absence of drug–excipient interactions, indicating good compatibility and stability of the optimized formulation. The results suggest that the developed dapagliflozin nanoemulsion is a promising approach to improve oral drug delivery and bioavailability for effective antidiabetic therapy.
Keywords: Dapagliflozin, Nanoemulsion, Box–Behnken design, Desirability function, In-vitro drug release, Oral drug delivery.
How to cite this article: Raut YB, Bhagwan DP, Sharma R, Kakkar S, Anuradha P, Mammen MV. Design and optimization of a novel oral drug delivery system of dapagliflozin for antidiabetic therapy. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(6s): 169-174; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.6s.21
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None