Response Surface Modeling of Drug-Loaded Micelles Prepared Through Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Evaporation Method Using Box-Behnken Experimental Design

Abstract

The nanoscale drug-loaded micelles can be prepared by the supercritical carbon dioxide evaporation method. Here, response surface methodology is used to optimize this process. The effects of pressure, ScCO2 release rate and the volume ratio of water against ScCO2 on the drug entrapment efficiency (EE) of the obtained micelles are discussed in detail. The obtained second-order polynomial equation can successfully predict the drug EE of the drug-loaded micelles. The maximum EE can reach 70.1% under optimal conditions in which the pressure is 12.27 MPa, the release rate is 10 L min−1 and the volume ratio of water against ScCO2 is 3.67:1. The prepared micelles exhibit a narrow size distribution and relatively regularly spherical shape. In vitro drug release study reveals that the release of paclitaxel from the micelles is slow and sustained.