Rifampicin and technologies employed in improving its dissolution profile

Resumo

Rifampicin is an antibiotic of the group of naphtalenics ansamicins, produced by Streptomyves mediterranei. This drug was discovered in the 60’s, with bactericidal activity about 95% of sensitive strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae, the etiologic agents of tuberculosis and leprosy, respectively. Investigations have shown that the main limitation of some formulations of rifampicin is due to their low solubility in aqueous medium, which fits in class II Biopharmaceutical Classification System. Objective: In this regard, the objective of this review was to demonstrate the main techniques used to optimize the dissolution profile of the drug rifampin. Methods: The scientific review was developed by database search Pub Med, Science direct, Scopus, CAPES Periodicals and ACS Publications, using the keywords rifampicin, release system, dissolution and their associations in the period March to June 2014 in documents published in the year 1971 to 2013. Results: Scientific Publications show that the restricted solubility of this compound can be circumvented by delivery systems for non-conventional, such as vesicular systems, inclusion complexes or solid dispersions. Conclusion: These technologies allow for pharmaceutical forms more stable and soluble bioavailability less variable.