Release behaviors of porous poly(butylene succinate)/poly(epsilon-caprolactone) microcapsules containing indomethacin

The biodegradable poly(butylene succinate)/poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PBS/PCL) microcapsules containing indomethacin were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation method. The morphologies, thermal properties, and release behaviors of PBS/PCL microcapsules were investigated. As a result, the microcapsules exhibited porous and spherical form in the presence of gelatin as a surfactant. From the DSC result, the PBS/PCL microcapsules showed the two exothermic peaks meaning the melting points of PCL and PBS. The results of FT-IR and DSC proved that the PBS and PCL were mixed so that the PBS/PCL microcapsules were composed of two wall-forming materials. And the release rate of indomethacin from the microcapsules was decreased with increasing the PCL content. It was noted that an addition of PCL on the PBS led to the decrease of pore size in the PBS/PCL microcapsules.     

Preparation of glucose-sensitive microcapsules with a porous membrane and functional gates

A glucose-sensitive microcapsule with a porous membrane and with linear-grafted polyacrylic acid (PAAC) chains and covalently bound glucose oxidase (GOD) enzymes in the membrane pores acting as functional gates was successfully prepared. Polyamide microcapsules with a porous membrane were prepared by interfacial polymerization, PAAC chains were grafted into the pores of the microcapsule membrane by plasma-graft pore-filling polymerization, and GOD enzymes were immobilized onto the PAAC-grafted microcapsules by a carbodiimide method. The release rates of model drug solutes from the fabricated microcapsules were significantly sensitive to the existence of glucose in the environmental solution. In solution, the release rate of either sodium chloride or VB(12) molecules from the microcapsules was low but increased dramatically in the presence of 0.2mol/L glucose. The prepared PAAC-grafted and GOD-immobilized microcapsules showed a reversible glucose-sensitive release characteristic. The proposed microcapsules provide a new mode for injection-type self-regulated drug delivery systems having the capability of adapting the release rate of drugs such as insulin in response to changes in glucose concentration, which is highly attractive for diabetes therapy.     

Effect of poly(ethylene oxide) on the release behaviors of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) microcapsules containing erythromycin

The biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) microcapsules and the analyzing of form and features for the manufacturing conditions were investigated in a prospective drug delivery systems (DDS) through drug release. The effects of emulsifier, emulsifier concentration, and stirring rate on the diameter and form of the microcapsules were examined using image analyzer (IA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The role of interfacial adhesion between PCL/PEO and drug was determined by contact angle measurements, and the drug release rate of the microcapsules was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy. As a result, the microcapsules were made in spherical forms with a mean particle size of 170 nm approximately 68 microm. And the work of adhesion between water and PCL/PEO was increased with increasing the PEO content, which is due to higher hydrophilicity of PEO. The drug release rate of the microcapsules was significantly increased as the PEO content increased, which could be attributed to the increasing of the hydrophilic groups or the degree of adhesion at the interfaces.     

磁性微胶囊的制备及其药物缓控释性能

用乳液-凝胶法制备了磁性壳聚糖/海藻酸钠微胶囊. 在壳聚糖/海藻酸钠微胶囊中掺入Fe3O4磁性中空球, 使微胶囊具有磁靶向性能. 以头孢拉定作为模型药物研究了载药磁性微胶囊的载药量、包封率及药物缓控释性能等. 结果表明, 提高头孢拉定的初始浓度可以提高载药量, 却不利于提高药物的包封率. 所制备的微胶囊在各种缓冲溶液中长时间内具有显著的缓释效果, 并具有pH 刺激响应释放的性能, 即在模拟胃液中的药物释放率大大降低, 而在模拟体液和肠液中的释放时间大大延长, 可达50 h以上. 另外, 在外加磁场作用下, 微胶囊表现出良好的磁定向运动性能, 为磁靶向药物输送提供基础.     

Microencapsulation of dichromate and paracetamol with Eudragit Retard polymers using phase separation by nonsolvent addition

A coacervation technique for microencapsulation using Eudragit Retard polymers [poly(methyl methacrylates) substituted by quaternary ammonium groups] as wall material is described, based upon phase separation using a cold chloroform-cyclohexane mixture together with polyisobutylene as a stabilizer. The effect of various parameters on the nature and properties of the microcapsules of potassium dichromate and paracetamol has been studied, in particular the alteration in wall content and structure and release rate of contents. The microcapsules are discrete, their properties are reproducible, and various degrees of sustained release are obtained.     

Preparation and properties of chitosan chondroitin sulfate complex microcapsules

The chitosan (CHS) chondroitin sulfate (CS) complex microcapsules were prepared by emulsion-chemical crosslink method, with the chitosan and chondroitin sulfate as the wall materials and the low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) as the core materials. The microcapsules were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscope (SEM), size distribution and thermal analysis. The in vitro drug release behavior of the microcapsules was studied by spectrophotometry. The SEM and size distribution showed that the microcapsules were in the spherical form mostly in the size range of 20-80 microm. The IR spectrum indicated that there were electrostatic interactions between chitosan and chondroitin sulfate, with the sulfate group and free carboxyl group reacted with the amino groups of chitosan. The DSC result showed that the wall materials could protect the core materials of the microcapsules. The results of the release kinetics experiments of the microcapsules showed that the drug released slightly faster in acid media than in alkali ones.     

Physical properties of poly(ε‐caprolactone) layered silicate nanocomposites prepared by controlled grafting polymerization

Poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) chains grafted onto montmorillonite modified by a mixture of nonfunctional ammonium salts and ammonium‐bearing hydroxyl groups were prepared. The clay content was fixed to 3 wt %, whereas the hydroxyl functionality was 25, 50, 75, and 100%, obtaining an intercalated or exfoliated system. The transport properties of water and dichloromethane vapors and the mechanical properties were investigated. The mechanical and dynamic mechanical analyses showed improvement of the nanocomposite elastic modulus in a wide temperature range. Interestingly, for the higher hydroxyl contents (50, 75, and 100%), the decrease of modulus at higher temperature, due to the PCL crystalline melting, did not lead to the loss of mechanical consistence of the samples. Consequently, they revealed a measurable modulus up to 120 °C, a much higher temperature with respect to pure PCL. Water sorption was investigated in the entire activity range, and a lower sorption was observed on increasing the hydroxyl content, up to the sample with 100% hydroxyl content, which turned to be completely impermeable, even in liquid water. The sample with 75% hydroxyl content showed a threshold activity (a = 0.4) below which it was impermeable to water vapor. Also, the diffusion parameters decreased when the hydroxyl content increased, up to the 100% sample, which showed zero diffusion. The diffusion parameters of an organic vapor, dichloromethane, also exhibited a decreasing value on increasing the hydroxyl content in the nanocomposites. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1466–1475, 2004     

Effect of oxygen plasma treatment on the release behaviors of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) microcapsules containing tocopherol

The biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) microcapsules (PCL) containing tocopherol (TC) were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation method, and microcapsules were treated by oxygen plasma to enhance the hydrophilic microcapsules. The morphologies and thermal properties of the microcapsules were determined by SEM and DSC measurements. The microcapsules studied were characterized by surface free energy or work of adhesion through contact angle measurement. As a result, the features of the microcapsules could be adjusted by manufacturing condition, such as surfactant and core ratio. The surface free energy or work of adhesion of the microcapsules was increased with increasing the time of plasma treatment, which could be attributed to the increased hydrophilic groups during oxygen plasma treatment. The release profile of the microcapsules was determined by UV-vis spectroscopy and the microcapsules containing tocopherol showed the rapid release rate, as compared with untreated ones.     

Effect of drug-loading methods on drug load, encapsulation efficiency and release properties of alginate/poly-L-arginine/chitosan ternary complex microcapsules

The drug-loaded alginate/poly-L-arginine/chitosan ternary complex microcapsules were prepared by mixing method, absorption method and the combined method of mixing and absorption, respectively. The effect of drug-loading methods on drug load, the encapsulation efficiency and the release properties of the complex microcapsules were investigated. The results showed that the absorption process is a dominating factor to greatly increase the drug load of Hb into microcapsules. Upon loading Hb into microcapsules by combined method of mixing and absorption, the drug load (19.9%) is up to the maximum value, and the encapsulation efficiency is 93.8%. Moreover, the drug release is a zero-order kinetics process for the ternary complex microcapsules made by mixing. For the complex microcapsules made by absorption, the drug release is a first-order kinetics. However, for the complex microcapsules made by combining the mixing and the absorption, the drug release obeys a first-order kinetics during the first eighteen hours, changing afterwards to a zero-order kinetics process. Effect of drug-loading methods on drug load and encapsulation efficiency of alginate/poly-L-arginine/chitosan ternary complex microcapsules.     

Effect of the Folate Ligand Density on the Targeting Property of Folated‐Conjugated Polymeric Nanoparticles

Targeted drug delivery systems have attracted increasing attention due to their ability for delivering anticancer drugs selectively to tumor cells. Folic acid (FA)‐conjugated targeted block copolymers, FA‐Pluronic‐polycaprolactone (FA‐Pluronic‐PCL) are synthesized in this study. The anticancer drug paclitaxel (PTX) is loaded in FA‐Pluronic‐PCL nanoparticles by nanoprecipitation method. The in vitro release of PTX from FA‐Pluronic‐PCL nanoparticles shows slow and sustained release behaviors. The effect of FA ligand density of FA‐Pluronic‐PCL nanoparticles on their targeting properties is examined by both cytotoxicity and fluorescence methods. It is shown that FA‐Pluronic‐PCL nanoparticles indicated better targeting ability than non‐targeted PCL‐Pluronic‐PCL nanoparticles. Furthermore, FA‐F127‐PCL nanoparticle with 10% FA molar content has more effective antitumor activity and higher cellular uptake than those with 50% and 91% FA molar content. These results prove that FA‐F127‐PCL nanoparticle with 10% FA molar content can be a better candidate as the drug carrier in targeted drug delivery systems.     

Encapsulation and characterization of flurbiprofen loaded poly(є-caprolactone)–poly(vinylpyrrolidone) blend micropheres by solvent evaporation method

Flurbiprofen loaded PCL/PVP blend microspheres were prepared by o/w solvent evaporation method using various concentrations of gelatin as emulsifying agent. Microsphere recovery decreased with a decrease in the concentration of the emulsifier in the dispersion. Encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of microspheres increased with decrease in concentration of emulsifying agent. Hydration rate, encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of microspheres increased with increase in concentration of PVP. Rheological properties showed free flowing nature of microspheres. SEM (Scanning electron microscope) revealed microspheres were discrete, spherical and became porous with decrease in concentration of emulsifying agent but smooth with higher concentration of emulsifying agent. FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) spectra of pure and encapsulated flurbiprofen in all formulation showed no significant difference in characteristic peaks, suggesting stability of flurbiprofen during encapsulation process. X-RD (X-ray powder diffractometry) of pure flurbiprofen shows sharp peaks, which decreases on encapsulation, indicating dispersion at molecular level and hence decrease in the crystallinity of drug in microspheres. Microspheres showed an enteric nature at pH 1.2 and a sustained release pattern at pH 6.8. Rapid drug release was observed in microspheres with higher concentration of PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone), PVP acts as channeling agent. Formulation with low concentration of emulsifying agent also showed a fast release due to porous structure. Drug release kinetics followed zero order at pH 1.2 while at pH 6.8 Higuchi model was best fitted and was found non fickian.     

Electrospun Polymeric Fibers Decorated with Silk Microcapsules via Encapsulation and Surface Immobilization for Drug Delivery

Hollow polymer microcapsules as drug carriers have the advantages of drug protection, storage, and controlled release. Microcapsules combined with tissue engineering scaffolds such as electrospun microfibers can enhance long-term local drug retention. However, the combination methods of microcapsules and fibers still need to be further explored. Here, different technical approaches to functionalize electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) microfibers with silk fibroin (SF) microcapsules through encapsulation and surface immobilization are developed, including direct blending and emulsion electrospinning for encapsulation, as well as covalent and cleavable disulfide-linkage for surface immobilization. The results of “blending” approach show that silk microcapsules with different sizes could be uniformly encapsulated inside electrospun fibers without aggregation. To further reduce the use of organic solvents, the microcapsules in the aqueous phase can be uniformly distributed in the PCL organic phase and successfully electrospun into fibers using surfactant span-80. For surface immobilization, silk microcapsules are efficiently covalent binding to the surface of electrospun PCL fibers via click chemistry and exhibited noncytotoxic. Based on this method, with the incorporation of a disulfide bond, the linkages between microcapsule and fiber could be cleaved under reducing conditions. These microcapsule-electrospun fiber combination methods provide sufficient options for different drug delivery requirements.     

Preparation and Release Behavior of Ethylcellulose Microcapsules Containing Theophylline Dispersed in Cellulose Triacetate Matrices

Using ethylcellulose and cellulose triacetate as co-wall materials, sustained release microcapsules of theophylline were prepared. The solid drug dispersed in the cellulose triacetate matrices was first prepared by solvent evaporation; then the matrices were microencapsulated by means of coacervation-phase separation of ethylcellulose from toluene solution on addition of petroleum ether. The shapes and surface characteristics of theophylline, matrices and microcapsules were examined with a scanning-electron microscope. The release of theophylline from various particles into distilled water was studied. The microcapsules had good characteristics of sustained release. The period for theophylline to dissolve from ethylcellulose microcapsules containing cellulose triacetate matrices was larger than those from only ethylcellulose microcapsules with a similar ratio of core to wall. The half-time increased with increasing content of cellulose triacetate. The release pattern which was analogous to that from only ethylcellulose microcapsules obeyed a first-order equation.     

Preparation of poly(butylene-co-ε-caprolactone carbonate) and their use as drug carriers for a controlled delivery system

Poly(butylene-co-ε-caprolactone carbonate) (PBCCL) was successfully synthesized via terpolymerization of carbon dioxide, 1,2-butylene oxide (BO), and ε-caprolactone (ε-CL). ε-CL was inserted into the backbone of BO-CO₂. The glass transition temperature (T_g) and the decomposition temperature (T_d) of PBCCL were much higher than those of poly(butylene carbonate) (PBC). The degradation rate of PBCCL was higher than that of PBC in a pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered solution. ε-CL offered an ester structural unit that gave the terpolymers remarkable degradability. PBC and PBCCL microcapsules containing a hydrophilic antibiotic drug pazufloxacin mesilate (PZFX) were elaborated by solvent evaporation method based on the formation of double W/O/W emulsion. Microcapsules were characterized in terms of the morphology, size, amount of encapsulated, and encapsulation efficiency. The results showed that the microcapsules had smooth and spherical surfaces, and the mean diameter of the microcapsules was in the range of 0.5–1 μm. Of all, 87.90% drug encapsulation efficiency has been achieved for microcapsules of 38.21% drug loading. In vitro drug release of these microcapsules was performed in a pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered solution. The release profiles were investigated from the measurement of PZFX presented in the release medium at various intervals. The release profiles of PZFX from PBC and PBCL microcapsules were found to be biphasic with a burst release followed by a gradual release phase. The release rate of PZFX from the microcapsules increased with increasing the content of ε-CL inserted into the copolymers. It showed that the release profiles of PZFX were highly polymer-dependent. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. JPolym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2152–2160, 2007     

Effect of acid-base interaction between silica and fragrant oil in the PCL/PEG microcapsules

In this work, the biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) microcapsules were prepared in the presence of SiO(2) and fragrant oil using emulsion solvent evaporation method. And SiO(2) was chemically treated in 30 wt.% hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. The effect of chemical treatment on SiO(2) surfaces was studied in terms of pH, acid-base value, and N(2)/77 K gas adsorption. Image analyzer and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to observe the shape and surface change of the prepared microcapsules. And the variation of surface free energy of microcapsules was characterized by contact angles. The results showed that the average diameter, surface free energy, and fragrant oil release rate of microcapsules were increased with increasing the PEG ratio. Also, it was found that in the case of basic treated SiO(2), the fragrant oil adsorption capacity and release rate were decreased due to the decrease of specific surface area or the increase of acid-base interactions between basic SiO(2) and acidic fragrant oil.     

Morphologic evolution of Au nanocrystals grown in ionic liquid by plasma reduction

By AFM we report the successful modulation of shell structure (morphology and shell thickness) of microcapsules through tailoring molecular substituents of chitosan. The shell thickness of hollow (HPCS/SA)(n) (n=5, 7, 9) capsules is more than 3 times that of the (QACS/SA)(n) (n=5, 7, 9) capsules, due to less charges carried by the neutral -NH(2) substituent group and the induced coily conformation in HPCS, while more charges carried by the positively charged -N(CH(3))(3)(+) substituent and the induced extended conformation in QACS (HPCS: hydroxyl propyl chitosan; QACS: quaternary ammonium chitosan; SA: sodium alginate). The ultrathin shells of microcapsules assembled in this work by the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique rather than the traditional method of mixing CS, SA and CaCl(2) enable the thickness modulation characterization by AFM on the atomic scale. These microcapsules with tunable shell thickness provide important guidance for potential drug delivery and sustained release.     

Highly porous poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) microparticles for sustained tiotropium release

In this study, porous poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles with low mass density and large particle size were developed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment using anticholinergic drug (tiotropium). The porous PLGA microparticles were prepared by the water‐in‐oil‐in‐water (W₁/O/W₂) multi‐emulsion method using PLGA polymer and ammonium bicarbonate (as a porogen). Herein, soluble starch was incorporated in porous PLGA microparticles for long‐term tiotropium release. In vitro drug release studies determined that the rapid release of tiotropium from porous PLGA microparticles was reduced because of the high viscosity of the incorporated starch. Tiotropium release from porous PLGA microparticles continued up to 3 days. Furthermore, the inhaled microparticles showed longer drug residence in in vivo lung epithelium. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance of biodegradable microcapsules of poly(butylene succinate), poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) and poly(butylene terephthalate-co-adipate) as drug encapsulation systems

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) and poly(butylene terephthalate-co-adipate) (PBTA) microcapsules were prepared by the double emulsion/solvent evaporation method. The effect of polymer and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) concentration on the microcapsule morphologies, drug encapsulation efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL) of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) were all investigated. As a result, the sizes of PBSu, PBSA and PBTA microcapsules were increased significantly by varying polymer concentrations from 6 to 9%. atRA was encapsulated into the microcapsules with an high level of approximately 95% EE. The highest EE and DL of BSA were observed at 1% polymer concentration in values of 60 and 37%, respectively. 4% PVA was found as the optimum concentration and resulted in 75% EE and 14% DL of BSA. The BSA release from the capsules of PBSA was the longest, with 10% release in the first day and a steady release of 17% until the end of day 28. The release of atRA from PBSu microcapsules showed a zero-order profile for 2 weeks, keeping a steady release rate during 4 weeks with a 9% cumulative release. Similarly, the PBSA microcapsules showed a prolonged and a steady release of atRA during 6 weeks with 12% release. In the case of PBTA microcapsules, after a burst release of 10% in the first day, showed a parabolic release profile of atRA during 42 days, releasing 36% of atRA.     

聚乙二醇相对分子质量及用量对温敏型PCL-PEG-PCL水凝胶的制备及释药性研究

采用开环聚合法制备PCL-PEG-PCL共聚物,并将其制成温敏性水凝胶,探究了PEG(聚乙二醇)相对分子质量及质量浓度对水凝胶温敏性的影响.水凝胶的相变温度由翻转小瓶法测定.通过FTIR、热分析仪和SEM等技术对其组成及结构进行表征.以疏水性姜黄素(Cur)为模型药物,制备出载Cur PCL-PEG-PCL水凝胶,并研究其体外释药行为.FTIR结果表明:实验制备的共聚物中含有PCL和PEG的链段.热分析结果表明:在25℃~65℃内水凝胶存在相变过程.SEM结果表明:水凝胶剖面具有疏松多孔.体外释药结果表明:PCL-PEG-PCL水凝胶对Cur具有缓释作用,释药机理符合Higuchi骨架溶蚀模型.     

具有抗菌性能的载药复合微纳米纤维的制备及其结构和性能表征

利用静电纺丝技术制备了一种具有抗菌性能的氧化锌(ZnO)/聚乳酸(PLA)/聚己内酯(PCL)载药微纳米纤维膜,并通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)分别对复合膜的表面形态、元素组成和化学结构进行表征。通过抗菌实验评价了复合膜的抗菌性能,用紫外分光光度计测试复合膜在体外的药物释放行为。结果显示,以物理共混的方式将ZnO和氢溴酸高乌甲素(LAH)成功载入复合微纳米纤维;与PLA/PCL复合微纳米纤维膜相比,ZnO/PLA/PCL复合微纳米纤维膜表现出更好的抗菌效率。当ZnO含量为10%(wt)时,复合微纳米纤维膜具有最佳的抗菌性能;药物释放性能结果表明,ZnO/PLA/PCL复合微纳米纤维膜具有良好的药物缓释性能。