Ethyl Cellulose Microcapsules for Protecting and Controlled Release of Folic Acid

Abstract

Abstract. Ethyl cellulose microcapsules were developed for use as a drug-delivery device for protecting folic acid from release and degradation in the undesirable environmental conditions of the stomach, whilst allowing its release in the intestinal tract to make it available for absorption. The controlled release folic acid-loaded ethyl cellulose microcapsules were prepared by oil-in-oil emulsion solvent evaporation using a mixed solvent system, consisting of a 9:1 (v/v) ratio of acetone:methanol and light liquid paraffin as the dispersed and continuous phase. Span 80 was used as the surfactant to stabilize the emulsion. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the microcapsules had a spherical shape. However, the particulate properties and in vitro release profile depended on the concentrations of the ethyl cellulose, Span 80 emulsifier, sucrose (pore inducer), and folic acid. The average diameter of the microcapsules increased from 300 to 448µm, whilst the folic acid release rate decreased from 52% to 40%, as the ethyl cellulose concentration was increased from 2.5% to 7.5% (w/v). Increasing the Span 80 concentration from 1% to 4% (v/v) decreased the average diameter of microcapsules from 300 to 141µm and increased the folic acid release rate from 52% to 79%. The addition of 2.5-7.5% (w/v) of sucrose improved the folic acid release from the microcapsules. The entrapment efficiency was improved from 64% to 88% when the initial folic acid concentration was increased from 1 to 3 mg/ml.

Preparation of Cellulose-based Nanofibers Using Electrospinning

“…Ethyl-cellulose (EC) is a kind of cellulose ether, and it shows a non-biodegradable and biocompatible polymer. EC is one of the extensively studied encapsulating materials for the controlled release of pharmaceuticals (Prasertmanakit et al, 2009). The film made from EC has quite good permeability, it has been widely used industrial air filter (Park et al, 2007).…”

Cellulose Polymers in Microencapsulation of Food Additives

“…EC microcapsules containing folic acid have been reported (Prasertmanakit et al, 2009), which serve to shield the nutrient from degradation on exposure to the acid gastric fluids in the stomach, while allowing its release until the intestinal tract and its site of physiologic absorption. These delayed release forms of folic acid in EC were prepared by oil-in-oil emulsion solvent evaporation using a dispersed phase of 9:1 acetone:methanol in a continuous phase of light liquid paraffin.…”

“…Additional means of using formulation modifiers, the use of pore formers or pore inducers to enhance the permeability or porosity of barrier coatings, was already mentioned (Prasertmanakit et al, 2009). The use of sucrose in that example illustrated the ability of water-soluble pore formers to increase release rates of hydrophilic additives from encapsulants, especially those using barrier coatings such as EC.…”

Microencapsulation of bioactives for food applications

“…To estimate the product shelf life, Wichchukit et al 89 studied the release of riboflavin incorporated into a food product, a model beverage. Prasertmanakit et al 146 studied the in vitro release of folic acid from ethyl cellulose microcapsules, a material that had good encapsulation efficiency. The addition of a water soluble polymer, sucrose, caused swelling of the polymer matrix, which allowed better controlled release of folic acid.…”