The ameliorated longevity and pharmacokinetics of valsartan released from a gel system of ultradeformable vesicles

The present study traces the development and characterization of the gel formulation of valsartan-loaded ultradeformable vesicles for management of hypertension.The prepared gel formulation of ultradeformable vesicles was evaluated for in vitro skin permeation, release kinetics, skin irritation, pharmacokinetics, and stability.The in vitro skin permeation study showed that the gel formulation of ultradeformable vesicles presented a flux value of 368.74 μg/cm(2)/h, in comparison to that of the traditional liposomal gel formulation, with an enhancement ratio of 26.91, through rat skin. The data for release kinetics showed that the release profile followed zero-order kinetics, and that the drug release mechanism was non-Fickian. The results of the skin irritation study demonstrated that the prepared formulation was safe, less irritant, and well-tolerated for transdermal delivery. The results of the pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that the AUC value of valsartan after transdermal administration was apparently increased. The formulation stored under a refrigerated condition showed greater stability, and results were found to be within the specification under storage conditions.It is evident from this study that the gel formulation of ultradeformable vesicles of valsartan is a promising delivery system for lipophilic drugs, and has reasonably good stability characteristics.