壳聚糖/有机累托石微球的合成及表征

目的:以牛血清白蛋白(BSA)作为模型药物,制备壳聚糖/有机累托石复合物微球,建立一种安全有效的药物控释传递系统。方法:壳聚糖(CS)/有机累托石(OREC)和海藻酸钠,按照不同的混合比例交联,在Ca2+水溶液中包裹BSA而形成壳核结构的微球。采用傅立叶红外光谱(FTIR)、动态光散射(DLS)、原子力显微镜(AFM)、X-衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电镜(TEM)观察研究微球的形态、CS和OREC的插层结构、BSA的包封率和控释效果。结果:口光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察显示,形成了壳核结构的微球。傅里叶变换光谱和X-射线能量分散显示,OREC存在于微球中。小角X-射线衍射证实,CS链成功的插入OREC插层中。BSA的包封率和控释检测结果显示,与纯的CS/ALG形成的微球相比较,CO复合物所形成的微球药物释放率明显提高。结论:OREC-HTCC纳米粒子是良好的蛋白药物载体,具有包封率高、缓释效果好等优点,为CS-OREC作为潜在的药物给药系统的进一步应用提供科学依据。     

Ionic cross‐linking of water‐soluble polyurethane improves protein encapsulation and release

Polymer nanoparticles (NPs) are promising systems for the delivery of protein drugs, as they enhance circulation half‐life, reduce degradation, and increase selectivity of the encapsulated agent. Among the different methods for the preparation of protein‐loaded NPs, ionotropic gelation—which exploits cross‐linking between charged groups in the polymer and counterions in the protein solution—has been extensively investigated for chitosan NPs. The present study aims at exploring the possibility to apply the method to prepare BSA‐loaded polyurethane NPs. A poly(ε‐caprolactone)/poly(ethyleneglicol)‐based polyurethane bearing tert‐butyloxycarbonyl‐protected amino groups was synthesized by a two‐step synthesis procedure. Amino functionalities were exposed under acidic conditions, as confirmed by ninhydrin assay, and then exploited to obtain ionic cross‐linking with sodium tripolyphosphate counterions. The effect of polymer and sodium tripolyphosphate concentration on particles size and BSA encapsulation has been investigated, showing that the PUR concentration plays a major role. Small particles, at 300 nm, with high BSA loading (90%) have been obtained. Sustained BSA release and low burst effect (20%) have been observed, indicating good interaction between the protein and the polymer matrix. The study highlights the possibility of introducing alternative polymers to improve loading and release of proteins from NPs obtained through the ionotropic gelation method.     

Encapsulation of protein nanoparticles into uniform-sized microspheres formed in a spinning oil film

A new spinning oil film (SOF) solid-in-oil-in-oil emulsion process was developed to produce uniform-sized proteinloaded biodegradable microspheres. A thin SOF on a cylindrical rotor was used to shear droplets from a nozzle tip to control droplet size. The resulting microspheres with low polydispersity (6%) produced a low burst (6%–11%) release even at high loadings (13%–18% encapsulated solids, 8%–12% protein). The SOF process had a high yield and did not require the presence of water, which can cause protein denaturation, or surfactants, which may be unwanted in the final product. Amorphous protein and crystalline excipient solids were encapsulated into 3 different polymers, giving a homogenous drug distribution throughout the microspheres, and an essentially complete protein encapsulation efficiency (average=99%). In contrast, large burst release was observed for polydisperse microspheres produced by a conventional emulsification technique, particularly for microspheres smaller than 25 μm in diameter, which gave 93% burst at 15% loading. The uniform encapsulation of high loadings of proteins into microspheres with low polydispersity in an anhydrous process is of practical interest in the development of controlled-release protein therapeutics. Published: December 6, 2005     

Evaluation of Chitosan/Alginate Beads Using Experimental Design: Formulation and <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Vitro</Emphasis> Characterization

Bovine serum albumin-loaded beads were prepared by ionotropic gelation of alginate with calcium chloride and chitosan. The effect of sodium alginate concentration and chitosan concentration on the particle size and loading efficacy was studied. The diameter of the beads formed is dependent on the size of the needle used. The optimum condition for preparation alginate–chitosan beads was alginate concentration of 3% and chitosan concentration of 0.25% at pH 5. The resulting bead formulation had a loading efficacy of 98.5% and average size of 1,501 μm, and scanning electron microscopy images showed spherical and smooth particles. Chitosan concentration significantly influenced particle size and encapsulation efficiency of chitosan–alginate beads (p < 0.05). Decreasing the alginate concentration resulted in an increased release of albumin in acidic media. The rapid dissolution of chitosan–alginate matrices in the higher pH resulted in burst release of protein drug.     

壳聚糖-有机累托石/海藻酸钠复合纳米粒的制备

目的:以BSA作为模型药物,制备壳聚糖季铵盐-OREC复合物纳米微粒,建立一种安全有效的药物控释传递系统。方法:超声条件下,制备不同质量比的具有壳聚糖硅酸盐插层结构的复合物纳米微粒,观察其形态学特征、进行红外光谱分析。同时,测定OREC对BSA包封率和载药量的影响。结果:成功制备了不同质量比的OREC-HTCC纳米粒子。电镜结果显示纳米粒呈圆球形,均匀,平均粒径约为30nm。红外图谱分析证实,HTCC插入了OREC插层中,BSA成功地包裹入HTCC-ALG/OREC混合材料制备的纳米微粒。加入OREC后,纳米粒子的包封率及载药量均明显提高,但随着加入量的增加,包封率及载药量逐渐减少。结论:OREC-HTCC纳米粒子是良好的蛋白药物载体,具有粒径小、包封率高、缓释效果好等优点,为CS-OREC作为潜在的药物给药系统的进一步应用提供科学依据。     

Insulin-loaded alginate microspheres for oral delivery – Effect of polysaccharide reinforcement on physicochemical properties and release profile

Oral administration of insulin requires protein protection from degradation in the gastric environment and its absorption improvement in the intestinal tract. To achieve this objective several types of microspheres composed of alginate, chitosan and dextran sulphate have been prepared by ionotropic gelation. Parameters such as the mean particle size, swelling behaviour, insulin encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity and release profiles in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids have been compared for the systems developed. In this study, attempts have been made to increase insulin protection and to improve its release from microspheres by reinforcing the alginate matrix with chitosan and/or dextran sulphate. Dextran sulphate was able to avoid insulin release at pH 1.2, protecting the protein from the acidic environment and reducing the total insulin released at pH 6.8. This effect was explained by an interaction between the permanent negatively charged groups of dextran sulphate and insulin molecules.     

Quaternized chitosan (QCS)/poly (aspartic acid) nanoparticles as a protein drug-delivery system

The aim of this study was to generate a new type of nanoparticles made of quaternized chitosan (QCS) and poly (aspartic acid) and to evaluate their potential for the association and delivery of protein drugs. QCS and poly (aspartic acid) were processed to nanoparticles via the ionotropic gelation technique. The size, polydispersity, zeta potential, and morphology of the nanoparticles were characterized. Entrapment studies of the nanoparticles were conducted using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. The effects of the pH value of nanoparticles with different QCS/poly (aspartic acid) ratios, QCS molecular weight (MW), poly (aspartic acid) concentration, and BSA concentration on the nanoparticle size, the nanoparticle yield, and BSA encapsulation were studied in detail. Suitably pH value of nanoparticles with different QCS/poly (aspartic acid) ratios, moderate QCS MW, optimal concentration ratio of poly (aspartic acid), and QCS favored more nanoparticles formed and higher BSA encapsulation efficiency. The release of BSA from nanoparticles was pH-dependent. Fast release occurred in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 7.4), while the release was slow in 0.1 M HCl (pH 1.2). The results showed that the new QCS/poly (aspartic acid) nanoparticles have a promising potential in protein delivery system.     

A protein delivery system: biodegradable alginate-chitosan-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) composite microspheres

In the present study we developed alginate-chitosan-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) composite microspheres to elevate protein entrapment efficiency and decrease its burst release. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), which used as the model protein, was entrapped into the alginate microcapsules by a modified emulsification method in an isopropyl alcohol-washed way. The rapid drug releases were sustained by chitosan coating. To obtain the desired release properties, the alginate-chitosan microcapsules were further incorporated in the PLGA to form the composite microspheres. The average diameter of the composite microcapsules was 31+/-9microm and the encapsulation efficiency was 81-87%, while that of conventional PLGA microspheres was just 61-65%. Furthermore, the burst releases at 1h of BSA entrapped in composite microspheres which containing PLGA (50:50) and PLGA (70:30) decreased to 24% and 8% in PBS, and further decreased to 5% and 2% in saline. On the contrary, the burst releases of conventional PLGA microspheres were 48% and 52% in PBS, respectively. Moreover, the release profiles could be manipulated by regulating the ratios of poly(lactic acid) to poly(glycolic acid) in the composite microspheres.     

膜材与制备过程对血红蛋白微胶囊粒径和包埋率的影响

以单甲氧基聚乙二醇聚乳酸共聚物（PELA）为膜材用复乳溶剂扩散法制备了包含牛血红蛋白（BHb）的微胶囊,微胶囊中BHb的P₅₀和Hill系数分别为3 466 Pa和2.4左右,接近于天然BHb的生物活性。研究发现膜材种类对BHb微胶囊包埋率和粒径的影响最大,使用MPEG2000为亲水性嵌段的PELA共聚物时,包埋率最高,达到90％以上,粒径为3～5 μm左右;随着膜材浓度的增大,微胶囊包埋率和粒径均增加;随着外水相NaCl浓度的增大,微胶囊包埋率升高、粒径减小;随着外水相稳定剂PVA浓度的增大,微胶囊粒径减小,包埋率先升高后降低,在较低浓度下（10 g/L、20 g/L）包埋率较高;初乳化搅拌速率的增大,有利于包埋率的提高,但对粒径影响不大;复乳化搅拌速率的影响较复杂,当复乳液体积较大时,复乳化搅拌速率对微胶囊制备的影响规律性不明显。当固定膜材和初乳化搅拌速率时,包埋率和粒径之间存在着类似抛物线的关系,包埋率随着粒径的减小而降低。     

Encapsulation of adenoviral vectors into chitosan-bile salt microparticles for mucosal vaccination

The objective of this study is the incorporation of adenoviral vectors into a microparticulate system adequate for mucosal delivery. Microencapsulation of the vectors was accomplished by ionotropic coacervation of chitosan, using bile salts as counter-anion. The process was optimized in order to promote high encapsulation efficiency, with a minimal loss of viral infectivity. The maintenance of sterility during all the encapsulation procedure was also taken into account. The principle relies on the simple addition of a solution containing adenoviral vectors to a solution of neutralized chitosan, under stirring. Some surfactants were added to the chitosan solution, to improve the efficiency of this process, such as Tween 80, and Pluronic F68 at 1% (w/v). Encapsulation efficiency higher than 84% was achieved with formulations containing sodium deoxycholate as counter-anion and Pluronic F68 as dispersant agent. The infectivity of the adenoviral vectors incorporated into microparticles was assessed by release assays in PBS and by direct inoculation in 293 and Caco-2 cells. The release in aqueous media was negligible but, when in contact with monolayers of the cells, an effective release of bioactive adenovirus was obtained. Our work shows that encapsulation in microparticles, not only appear to protect the adenovirus from the external medium, namely from low pH, but can also delay their release that is fully dependent on cell contact, an advantage for mucosal vaccination purposes. The formulations developed are able to maintain AdV infectivity and permit a delayed release of the bioactives that is promoted by digestion in situ of the microparticles by the cell monolayers. The onset of delivery is, that way, host-controlled. In view of these results, these formulations showed good properties for mucosal adenovirus delivery.     

Encapsulation of probiotic Bifidobacterium longum BIOMA 5920 with alginate-human-like collagen and evaluation of survival in simulated gastrointestinal conditions

Alginate (ALg)-human-like collagen (HLC) microspheres were prepared by the technology of electrostatic droplet generation in order to develop a biocompatible vehicle for probiotic bacteria. Microparticles were spherical with mean particle size of 400 μm. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of ALg-HLC microspheres could reach 92-99.2%. Water-soluble and fibrous human-like collagen is combined with sodium alginate through intermolecular hydrogen bonding and electrostatic force which were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thus the matrix of ALg-HLC was very stable. Bifidobacterium longum BIOMA 5920, as a kind of probiotic bacteria, was encapsulated with alginate-human-like collagen to survive and function in simulated gastrointestinal juice. Microparticles were very easy to degradation in simulated intestinal juices. After incubation in simulated gastric (pH 2.0, 2 h), the encapsulated B. longum BIOMA 5920 numbers were 4.81 ± 0.38 log cfu/g.     

Encapsulation of drug reservoirs in fibers by emulsion electrospinning: morphology characterization and preliminary release assessment

In this paper, we prepared composite fibers via electrospinning from either W/O or O/W emulsion. SEM images demonstrate the beads-in-string structures in these fibers and proved this technique to be an effective method for microencapsulation. As a practical application, Ca-alginate microspheres, which serve as reservoirs for hydrophilic drugs, were prepared in a reverse emulsion and then incorporated into poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA) fibers by electrospinning. With the bovine serum albumin (BSA) loaded into the microspheres, the beads-in-string structure thus entrapped hydrophilic proteins in hydrophobic polymeric matrix. In the in vitro release test, BSA, which was released from composite fibers, achieved prolonged release profiles and lower burst release rates than those from naked Ca-alginate microspheres. In comparison with other well-established techniques to prepare microcapsules, such as solvent evaporation and spray-drying techniques, emulsion electrospinning features partly competing, partly complementary characteristics. Extension to other emulsion systems will be able to fabricate new types of functional structures.     

Chitosan and lactic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles as carriers for prolonged drug delivery

Nanoparticles of approximately 10nm in diameter made with chitosan or lactic acid-grafted chitosan were developed for high drug loading and prolonged drug release. A drug encapsulation efficiency of 92% and a release rate of 28% from chitosan nanoparticles over a 4-week period were demonstrated with bovine serum protein. To further increase drug encapsulation, prolong drug release, and increase chitosan solubility in solution of neutral pH, chitosan was modified with lactic acid by grafting D,L-lactic acid onto amino groups in chitosan without using a catalyst. The lactic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles demonstrated a drug encapsulation efficiency of 96% and a protein release rate of 15% over 4 weeks. With increased protein concentration, the drug encapsulation efficiency decreased and drug release rate increased. Unlike chitosan, which is generally soluble only in acid solution, the chitosan modified with lactic acid can be prepared from solutions of neutral pH, offering an additional advantage of allowing proteins or drugs to be uniformly incorporated in the matrix structure with minimal or no denaturization.     

乳液法静电纺丝PLGA 组织工程缓释纤维的研究

目的:研究Dextran对蛋白药物的释放影响。方法:将模型蛋白BSA溶解于多糖溶液中,通过W/O乳液法静电纺丝制备缓释纤维。采用MicroBCA法测定该纤维体外释放行为,采用SEC-HPLC检测制备前后蛋白的聚集程度,并与不含多糖的BSA纤维做对照。结果:添加Dextran以后蛋白的包封率由52.68%提高到63.92%,第一天突释不大于药物载量的15%,对蛋白单体的保持达到85%以上。结论:Dextran可以改善一般组织工程纤维中蛋白药物的释放,提高蛋白药物在制剂、贮存、释放过程中的稳定性,增加纤维的载药量。     

Preparation,Drug Releasing Property and Pharmacodynamics of Soy Isoflavone-Loaded Chitosan Microspheres

Soybean isoflavone (SIF) has anti-aging properties and many other biological functions; however, SIF is difficult to reach higher blood concentration due to its rapid metabolism. Therefore, it is of great value to design and produce a sustained-release formulation that is able to maintain a stable level of plasma concentrations. In this paper, soybean isoflavone sustained-release microsphere from chitosan and sodium alginate was prepared successfully. The important factors that determined the quality of the microspheres were the sodium alginate concentration in solution B, the ratio of soybean isoflavone to chitosan and the mixing speed. The relative yield, encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capability of SIF were much higher than the existing commercial formulations. In real gastrointestinal conditions, compared with the non-sustained release group, the release rate of SIF slowed down and the reaction time was prolonged. Animal experiments showed that sustained-release microspheres intensified the anti-aging potentials of SIF. Compared with the Non-sustained release (NSR) group mice, oral SIF/CHI microsphere treated mice were better in the Morris Water Maze Test (MWMT), the MDA level in the both plasma and brain of the sustained release(SR) group mice decreased, and SOD content was remarkably improved.     

Two-stage optimization process for formulation of chitosan microspheres

The objective of the present study was to optimize the concentration of a chitosan solution, stirring speed, and concentration of drugs having different aqueous solubility for the formulation of chitosan microspheres. Chitosan microspheres (unloaded and drug loaded) were prepared by the chemical denaturation method and were subjected to measurement of morphology, mean particle size, particle size distribution, percentage drug entrapment (PDE), drug loading, and drug release (in vitro). Morphology of the microspheres was dependent on the level of independent process parameters. While mean particle size of unloaded microspheres was found to undergo significant change with each increase in concentration of chitosan solution, the stirring rate was found to have a significant effect only at the lower level (ie, 2000 to 3000 rpm). Of importance, spherical unloaded microspheres were also obtained with a chitosan solution of concentration less than 1 mg/mL. Segregated unloaded microspheres with particle size in the range of 7 to 15 microm and mean particle size of 12.68 microm were obtained in the batch prepared by using a chitosan solution of 2 mg/mL concentration and stirring speed of 3000 rpm. The highest drug load ( microg drug/mg microspheres) was 50.63 and 13.84 for microspheres containing 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate, respectively. While the release of 5-fluorouracil followed Higuchi's square-root model, methotrexate released more slowly with a combination of first-order kinetics and Higuchi's square-root model. The formation of chitosan microspheres is helped by the use of differential stirring. While an increase in the concentration of water-soluble drug may help to increase PDE and drug load over a large concentration range, the effect is limited in case of water-insoluble drugs.     

乳液法静电纺丝PLGA组织工程缓释纤维的研究

目的：研究Dextran对蛋白药物的释放影响。方法：将模型蛋白BSA溶解于多糖溶液中,通过W/O乳液法静电纺丝制备缓释纤维。采用MicroBCA法测定该纤维体外释放行为,采用SEC-HPLC检测制备前后蛋白的聚集程度,并与不含多糖的BSA纤维做对照。结果：添加Dextran以后蛋白的包封率由52.68%提高到63.92%,第一天突释不大于药物载量的15%,对蛋白单体的保持达到85%以上。结论：Dextran可以改善一般组织工程纤维中蛋白药物的释放,提高蛋白药物在制剂、贮存、释放过程中的稳定性,增加纤维的载药量。     

影响PLGA微球包封率和粒径相关因素研究进展

聚乳酸乙醇酸共聚物(PLGA)是一种可生物降解的高分子聚合物,具有良好的生物相容性,其降解产物为乳酸和乙醇酸,是机体正常代谢的中间产物,最终可分解为二氧化碳和水,并分别经肺和肾脏排出体外,对人体不产生危害,所以PLGA在微球制剂的制备中常作为首选载体。近年来PLGA微球制剂在医药领域有着飞跃发展,尤其是在抗肿瘤、免疫疫苗、蛋白给药、基因治疗、诊断试剂和细胞支架等方面显现出很大优势。而且已有许多PLGA微球获得美国FDA批准上市,临床应用也有令人满意的效果,未见报道有严重的不良反应。但现阶段国内生产的PLGA缓释微球的质量还有很多不足之处如微球粒径偏大、包封率和载药量偏低、突释过大等,有待进一步提高和改进。本文将综述在制备包裹水溶性药物的PLGA微球过程中相关因素如药物本身理化性质、制备方法、PLGA结构特点、有机溶剂等对微球粒径、包封率的影响,以期为提高以PLGA为药物载体的药效奠定良好的理论基础。     

Polyelectrolyte nanoparticles based on water-soluble chitosan-poly(l-aspartic acid)-polyethylene glycol for controlled protein release

Water-soluble chitosan (WSC)-poly(l-aspartic acid) (PASP)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanoparticles (CPP nanoparticles) were prepared spontaneously under quite mild conditions by polyelectrolyte complexation. These nanoparticles were well dispersed and stable in aqueous solution, and their physicochemical properties were characterized by turbidity, FTIR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and zeta potential. PEG was chosen to modify WSC-PASP nanoparticles to make a protein-protective agent. Investigation on the encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of the bovine serum albumin (BSA)-loaded CPP nanoparticles was also conducted. Encapsulation efficiency was obviously decreased with the increase of initial BSA concentration. Furthermore, its in vitro release characteristics were evaluated at pH 1.2, 2.5, and 7.4. In vitro release showed that these nanoparticles provided an initial burst release, followed by a slowly sustained release for more than 24 h. The BSA released from CPP nanoparticles showed no significant conformational change compared with native BSA, which is superior to the BSA released from nanoparticles without PEG. A cell viability study suggested that the nanoparticles had good biocompatibility. This nanoparticle system was considered promising as an advanced drug delivery system for the peptide and protein drug delivery.     

Effect of pH on protein distribution in electrospun PVA/BSA composite nanofibers

We examine the protein distribution within an electrospun polymer nanofiber using polyvinyl alcohol and bovine serum albumin as a model system. We hypothesize that the location of the protein within the nanofiber can be controlled by carefully selecting the pH and the applied polarity of the electric field as the pH affects the net charge on the proteins. Using fluorescently labeled BSA and surface analysis, we observe that the distribution of BSA is affected by the pH of the electrospinning solution. Therefore, we further probe the relevant forces on the protein in solution during electrospinning. The role of hydrodynamic friction was assessed using glutaraldehyde and HCl as a tool to modify the viscosity of the solution during electrospinning. By varying the pH and the polarity of the applied electric field, we evaluated the effects of electrostatic forces and dielectrophoresis on the protein during fiber formation. We surmise that electrostatic forces and hydrodynamic friction are insignificant relative to dielectrophoretic forces; therefore, it is possible to separate species in a blend using polarizability contrast. A coaxial distribution of protein in the core can be obtained by electrospinning at the isoelectric point of the protein, whereas surface enrichment can be obtained when the protein carries a net charge.