Box-Behnken Design (BBD) Based Optimization of Beta-Carotene Loaded Cubosomes for Anti-Oxidant Activity Using DPPH Assay

Beta-carotene (BC), a red pigment, has numerous health benefits, including acting as a provitamin-A, anti-oxidant, and anticancer. Lower bioavailability, stability, and oxidative degradations are the major issues associated with the same, reflecting the need of exploring novel drug delivery system. Developing NDDS is time-consuming that needs lots of effort. Optimizing variables for formulating a potent dosage form is a big task. For this reason, BBD (Box-Behnken (BB) design) was employed to statistically optimize formulation variables. Box-Behnken designs are used to generate higher-order response surfaces using fewer required runs. GMO concentration, poloxamer concentration, and drug concentration were three independent variables, whereas entrapment efficiency (EE%) ( Y 1 ) and yield ( Y 2 ) have been chosen as dependent variables. Using optimized concentrations, 15 batches of β-carotene-loaded cubosomes have been developed, via fabrication method. According to the results of Design-Expert software, the ideal formulation composition and process variables for an optimized BC-LC were found to be 1800: 200 mg of GMO: poloxamer 407 and a desirability function of 0.99. Additionally, it provides theoretical or expected values for EE (%) ( Y 1 ) and yield (%) ( Y 2 ), which correspond to 82.53% and 76.23%, respectively. The optimized formulation showed 98 ± 1.22% drug release within 36 h and following Higuchi model for drug release. A significant increase in anti-oxidant potential of β-carotene (49.27 ± 4.32%) has been demonstrated when incorporated in the cubosomal nano-formulations (81.45 ± 4.15%). Using Design-Expert software, an efficient formulation incorporating β-carotene has been developed, showing significant anti-oxidant activities as compared to the β-carotene extract.