Baicalein-nicotinamide cocrystal with enhanced solubility, dissolution, and oral bioavailability.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of preparation methods on cocrystallization between baicalein (BE) and nicotinamide (NCT), their intermolecular interaction, and to demonstrate that BE–NCT cocrystal can achieve the simultaneous enhancement in solubility, dissolution, and oral bioavailability of BE. The cocrystals from three preparation methods have the similar differential scanning calorimetry thermograms and X-ray powder diffraction patterns. Compared with crystalline BE, BE–NCT cocrystal has significantly improved the solubility and dissolution of BE. In addition, the cocrystal exhibits a 2.49-fold higher peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and 2.80-fold higher area under the curve (AUC) in rats. This prominent improvement in oral bioavailability is even greater than the previously reported BE nanocrystal. This investigation enriched the present understanding of cocrystals on their behavior in vitro and in vivo, and built the groundwork for future development of BE as a promising compound into efficacious drug products. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 103:2330–2337, 2014