Phytantriol-based Cubosomes Nanocarriers For Nifedipine Pediatric Administration Through Enteral Nutrition Tubes

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to develop a nanocarrier (CN) formulation for the efficient administration of Nifedipine (NIF) via pediatric feeding tubes, optimizing its delivery to hospitalized children. Methods: The CN formulation was characterized re-garding particle size, drug release properties, and compared to extemporaneous NIF tab-lets (FE-NIF) in flow-rate tests through pediatric feeding tubes. Recovery efficiency was evaluated across different tube sizes and rinsing volumes. A preliminary toxicity study was conducted using a brine shrimp lethality model. Results: The CN formulation demonstrated favorable physicochemical properties, including controlled release and su-perior flow rates compared to FE-NIF in pediatric tubes. Full recovery of NIF content was achieved with the CN formulation, while FE-NIF recovery depended on tube dimensions and rinsing protocols. Conclusions: The CN formulation represents a promising alterna-tive for administering NIF to hospitalized children via pediatric feeding tubes, offering enhanced delivery efficiency over traditional formulations.