Preparation process and in vitro release of exenatide-loaded long-acting microspheres / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To develop an easy to scale-up preparation process for exenatide-loaded long-acting microspheres, and develop a method that can be used to rapidly evaluate the in vitro release properties of the microspheres. METHODS: The primary emulsion could be made by high shear emulsification process combined with high pressure homogenization method, then exenatide-loaded microspheres were prepared by a modified coacervation method. In the coacervation step, static mixer was used for mixing the primary emulsion and the coacervation reagent. RESULTS: High pressure homogenization could reduce the size of the primary emulsion to about 200 nm. The encapsulation efficiency of microspheres was greater than 96.8%, and the amount of burst release in 1 h was less than 0.5%. When the scale of microspheres preparation was magnified by five times, the characteristics of the obtained microspheres was the same as the small scale batch. The in vitro release curves showed that the continued release time lasted for nearly 4 weeks after the 17 d lag phase. The drug release rate at 45℃ was as high as 2.5 times of that at 37℃, with same release curves. CONCLUSION: The established preparation process of exenatide-loaded long-acting microspheres, which uses static mixer for mixing the primary emulsion and coacervation reagent, is easy for scaling-up and industrialization. Accelerated test at 45℃ can be used to rapidly evaluate the in vitro release profile of the microspheres.

Preparation and characterization of microcapsules of Pterodon pubescens Benth. by using natural polymers

An oleaginous fraction obtained from an alcohol extract of the fruit of Pterodon pubescens Benth. (FHPp) was microencapsulated in polymeric systems. These systems were developed using a complex coacervation method and consisted of alginate/medium-molecular-weight chitosan (F1-MC), alginate/chitosan with greater than 75% deacetylation (F2-MC), and alginate/low-molecular-weight chitosan (F3-MC). These developed systems have the potential to both mask the taste of the extract, and to protect its constituents against possible chemical degradation. The influence of the formulation parameters and process were determined by chemical profiling and measurement of the microencapsulation efficiency of the oleaginous fraction, and by assessment of microcapsule morphology. The obtained formulations were slightly yellow, odorless, and had a pleasant taste. The average diameters of the microcapsules were 0.4679 µm (F2-MC), 0.5885 µm (F3-MC), and 0.9033 µm (F1-MC). The best formulation was F3-MC, with FHPp microencapsulation efficiency of 61.01 ± 2.00% and an in vitro release profile of 75.88 ± 0.45%; the content of vouacapans 3-4 was 99.49 ± 2.80%. The best model to describe the release kinetics for F1-MC and F3-MC was that proposed by Higuchi; however, F2-MC release displayed first-order kinetics; the release mechanism was of the supercase II type for all formulations.

Uma fração oleaginosa obtida do extrato etanólico de frutos de Pterodon pubescens Benth (FHPp) foi microencapsulada em um sistema polimérico. Estes sistemas foram desenvolvidos utilizando o método de coacervação complexa, constituído de alginato/quitosana massa molecular média (F1-MC), alginato/quitosana com desacetilação superior a 75% (F2-MC) e alginato/quitosana de massa molecular baixa (F3-MC). Estes sistemas desenvolvidos têm o potencial tanto de mascarar o sabor do extrato, quanto de protegê-lo de possível degradação química. A influência dos parâmetros de formulação e processo foram determinadas por caracterização química, determinação da eficiência de microencapsulação da fração oleaginosa e por avaliação morfológica da microcápsula. As formulações mostraram-se ligeiramente amareladas, inodoras e com sabor agradável. Os diâmetros médios das microcápsulas foram de 0,4679 µm (F2-MC), 0,5885 µm (F3-MC) e 0,9033 µm (F1-MC). A melhor formulação foi F3-MC, considerando-se que apresentou eficiência de encapsulação de 61,01 ± 2,00%, e perfil de liberação in vitro de 75,88 ± 0,45%; o conteúdo dos vouacapanos 3-4 foi 99,49 ± 2,80%. O melhor modelo para descrever a cinética de liberação foi o modelo proposto por Higuchi para F1-MC e F3-MC, entretanto, para F2-MC foi o modelo de primeira ordem, e o mecanismo de liberação foi do tipo super caso II para todas as formulações.