Formulation of Thymoquinone Nanoparticles and its in-vitro Evaluation

Hydrophobic drugs delivered orally encounter permeability problems and hence poor bioavailability. They undergo chemical and enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract and show extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism. Similarly various additional factors hinder drug discovery and the development of an effective delivery of different therapeutic molecules. Thymoquinone (THQ) a major active lipophilic component of Nigella Sativa (Ranunculaceae) was reported to have many pharmacological qualities such as its immu-nomodulation anticancer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Physicochemical characterization of THQ was done on the basis of organoleptic properties solubility loss on drying partition coefficient IR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. On the basis of these test the drug sample THQ was found to be authentic and pure. An analytical method using RP-HPLC was developed and validated for determining in vitro release and permeation study. Chitosan nanoparticles (NP) were prepared according to ionic gelation method.