A PROMISE ALBENDAZOLE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM BASED ON PHBV MICROSPHERES AND POROUS CORK MICROPARTICLES: INVESTIGATION OF ITS PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES ANDIN VITRORELEASE BEHAVIOR

Abstract

The association of biodegradable and biosourced polymers with biomass raw materials is a promising way for the preparation of new drug delivery systems (DDS). Cork as one of the typical biomass raw materials seems to be very interesting in the formulation of effective and reliable DDS. In this study, several formulations of DDS based on microspheres of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and different amounts of microparticles of cork (MPC) powder, containing albendazole, were successfully prepared by microencapsulation, using emulsification/solvent evaporation technique. The prepared formulations showed good production yields and encapsulation efficiencies exceeding 80%. The chemical compatibility between the drug and the DDS matrix was evaluated by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The obtained results proved the lack of interactions. In term of morphology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that DDS were composed of non-aggregated spherical shape PHBV microspheres and porous MPC capable of entrapping the drug and the PHBV microspheres. The evaluation of the drug dispersion state in the DDS matrix was conducted using thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) suggesting drug amorphization. The in vitro drug release experiments by UV-Visible spectrophotometery showed an initial burst followed by a sustained release. Compared with a commercial albendazole form no significant drug degradation was observed at low pH. Additionally, an improvement in the bioavailability of albendazole was obtained with increasing amounts of MPC in the DDS. In view of these results, the developed DDS appear to have great potential as carrier for a prospective delivery to colon.