FORMULATION DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF RESVERATROL LOADED METAL OXIDE NANOPARTICLES

The present investigation focused on the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of Resveratrol-loaded copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs). Resveratrol, identified as an off-white, bitter, amorphous solid, exhibited a melting point of 259–260 °C and demonstrated solubility in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8), 0.1N HCl, methanol, and ethanol, with limited solubility in water. Its partition coefficient (Log P = 8.875) indicated moderate lipophilicity, and UV spectroscopic analysis revealed a maximum absorption wavelength at 304 nm. A calibration curve prepared in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) showed linearity in the range of 10–50 µg/ml with a correlation coefficient of 0.995. Compatibility studies confirmed suitability of selected excipients for nanoparticle formulation. Five formulations (DCN-1 to DCN-5) of Resveratrol-loaded CuO-NPs were synthesized using varying drug-to-copper nitrate ratios, with optimized stirring conditions of 800 rpm for 3 hours. The percentage yield ranged between 58.21–66.71%. Particle size analysis revealed nanoparticles in the range of 90 ± 9 to 142 ± 16 nm with polydispersity indices of 0.198–0.247 and zeta potential values below –3.05, indicating stability. Drug entrapment efficiencies varied from 29.38–48.28%, decreasing at extreme copper nitrate concentrations. SEM analysis of the optimized formulation (DCN-3) confirmed irregular surface morphology. In-vitro drug release studies demonstrated that DCN-3 exhibited the highest release (93.42%), and kinetic modeling suggested that the release mechanism followed the Peppas–Korsmeyer model, indicating diffusion-controlled kinetics with possible polymer relaxation or erosion. Overall, the study highlights the potential of CuO-NPs as a promising carrier system for enhancing the bioavailability and controlled release of Resveratrol. Keywords: Nanocarrier, Copper Oxide, Resveratrol, Metal Oxide, Nanoparticles, Natural