Solubilization and stabilization of a benzylpenicillin chemical delivery system by 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin.

A dihydropyridine----pyridinium salt redox carrier-based chemical delivery system for benzylpenicillin (1) was complexed with 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD). The solubility of the lipophilic 1, which is incompatible with aqueous formulations, was dramatically increased and showed a linear dependency on the HPCD concentration. The degree of incorporation was 20 mg of 1 per g of complex. The stability study of 1 in various pH buffers indicated the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of the acyloxyalkyl linkage and the hydration of the 5,6 double bond of the dihydropyridine as the main degradation processes. The overall loss of 1, which follows first-order kinetics, was not influenced by changes in ionic strength and elimination of oxygen from the reaction medium. The HPCD complex of 1, which has a stability constant of 720-940 M-1, stabilized the chemical delivery system. The influence of the temperature on the stability of 1 is also discussed.