ABSTRACT
An intravenously injectable liquid formulation of the poorly water-soluble isosteviol sodium (ISVNa) that has a great clinical potential for cardiovascular diseases was developed using the co-solvent technology. The pH and composition of the co-solvent were optimized to obtain a stable liquid formulation (termed as STVNa) based on saline at pH 10.0 containing 25% (v/v) of ethanol and 20% (v/v) of propylene glycol. STVNa was physicochemically stable upon storage for more than 3 months under various conditions. In vitro studies showed that STVNa did not induce hemolytic effects up to 9.1% (v/v) after 3 h of incubation and it was cytocompatible up to 50 µg/mL in H2C9 cells. Furthermore, STVNa showed acceptable safety and pharmacokinetic parameters comparable with those of ISVNa in saline (dissolved at 60 °C) upon i.v. injection in Wistar rats. Overall, the results demonstrated that STVNa is a promising formulation of ISVNa for clinical translation.
