Effect of Sonication on Solubility of Posaconazole in Different Solvents

The present study investigated the effect of ultrasonic treatment on the solubility enhancement of posaconazole, a poorly water-soluble BCS Class II antifungal drug, in different pharmaceutical solvents. Saturation solubility studies were performed in distilled water, ethanol, methanol, propylene glycol, and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) under sonicated and non-sonicated conditions. Sonication significantly improved the solubility of posaconazole in all tested media due to cavitation-induced particle size reduction, enhanced wettability, and improved solute–solvent interaction. The highest percentage enhancement was observed in distilled water, where solubility increased from 0.012 to 0.025 mg/mL (108.3%). Ethanol, methanol, and propylene glycol showed moderate enhancement ranging from 55–56%, while PEG 400 exhibited the highest absolute solubility (2.28 mg/mL) after sonication because of its superior solubilizing capacity. Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA demonstrated a significant effect of solvent type on drug solubility (p < 0.001), with PEG 400 showing significantly higher solubility than other solvents. The findings demonstrate that sonication is a simple, cost-effective, and scalable approach for improving the solubility and dissolution behaviour of lipophilic drugs. The combination of ultrasonic treatment with suitable solvent systems such as PEG 400 may contribute to enhanced oral bioavailability and offers a practical alternative to complex formulation strategies for poorly water-soluble drugs.

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