Drug Solubility in Phospholipid Carrier as a Predictive Parameter for Drug Recovery in Microparticles Produced by the Aerosol Solvent Extraction System (ASES) Process

Two-step solid lipid extrusion as a process to modify dissolution behavior

Extrudates based on varying ratios of the triglyceride tripalmitin and the hydrophilic polymer polyethylene glycol as matrix formers were produced as oral dosage forms with controlled release characteristics. The extrudates were processed below the melting points of the excipients and contained the hydrophobic model drug chloramphenicol. The influence of the ratio of the matrix formers on drug dissolution was investigated, with an increase in the water-soluble polymer content increasing the drug release rate. In addition, the effect of varying the extrusion process on the extrudate structure and drug dissolution was investigated. Two-step extrusion was performed, which comprised an initial extrusion step of drug and one matrix component followed by milling these extrudates and a second extrusion step for the milled extrudates mixed with the second matrix component. Initial extrusion with polyethylene glycol led to increased dissolution rates, while initial extrusion with tripalmitin led to decreased dissolution rates compared to the dissolution characteristics of extrudates containing the same composition produced by one-step extrusion. Thus, two-step solid lipid extrusion can successfully be used as a process to modify the dissolution behavior of extrudates.

Development of core-shell microcapsules by a novel supercritical CO2 process

5-fluorouracil-SiO(2)-poly(L-lactide) (5-Fu-SiO(2)-PLLA) microcapsules were prepared in a novel process of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO(2) (SEDS). The SiO(2) nanoparticles were loaded with 5-Fu by adsorption at the first place, then the 5-Fu-SiO(2) nanoparticles were coated with PLLA by a modified SEDS process. The resulted microcapsules were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), laser diffraction particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and thermogravimeter-differential scanning calorimeter (TG-DSC). The drug load, encapsulation efficiency and drug release profiles were also determined. The resulted microcapsules exhibited a rather spherical shape, smooth surface, and a narrow particle size distribution with a mean particle size of 536 nm. The drug load and encapsulation efficiency of the samples were 0.18% and 80.53%, respectively, 25.05% of 5-Fu was released in the first half hour, then drug released in a sustained process, which was much slower than that of without coated by PLLA. The results indicated that the modified SEDS process could be used to produce drug-polymer microcapsules with a core-shell structure, high encapsulation efficiency and sustained drug release effect.