Fabrication, Characterization and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Doxorubicin-Loaded Water-in-Oil-in-Water Microemulsions Using a Membrane Emulsification Technique

Abstract

Doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) microemulsions were produced using a shirasu-porous-glass (SPG) membrane emulsification technique. Soybean oil was used as the oil phase; polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) or tetraglycerol polyricinoleate (TGPR) was used as the surfactant to stabilize the feed W/O emulsions, while Tween 20 was used in the external water phase to stabilize oil droplets containing water droplets. Increasing the feed pressure from 50 to 90 kPa increased the particle size of W/O/W emulsions, whereas it was decreased by increasing the agitator speed. The smallest particle sizes of multiple emulsions were obtained at the feed pressure of 50 kPa and agitator speed of 350 rpm. Under this set of conditions, the increase in the concentration of PGPR or TGPR showed a decrease in the particle size of DOX-loaded W/O/W emulsions. The optimized formulation comprising of 5% w/v PGPR and 3% w/v Tween 20 in the oil phase and external water phase, respectively, with 0.5% w/v of DOX had a particle size of 0.440 0.007 µm and polydispersity index of 0.220 0.087, which was supported by the transmission electron microscopy image. The formulations showed a sustained release profile in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4). The plasma concentrations of DOX after intravenous administration to rats were prolonged and gave approximately 17-fold higher area under the drug concentration-time curve (AUC) compared to free DOX solution. Thus, these results demonstrated that the SPG membrane emulsification technique could be used as a promising technique to prepare W/O/W microemulsions for delivering DOX with sustained release characteristics and better bioavailability.Key words microemulsion; shirasu-porous-glass; doxorubicin; sustained release; pharmacokinetics Over the past two decades, an increasing interest has been devoted to multiple emulsions due to their multiple compartment structure and an immense capability of encapsulating hydrophilic drug substances for sustained released characteristics. [1][2][3][4] The potential application of water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) multiple emulsion is not only limited to pharmaceuticals but also in the field of cosmetics and food industry. In cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, W/O/W emulsions have been used for controlled release and targeted delivery of drugs. [5][6][7][8] Food applications include the encapsulation of vitamin/minerals, 9,10) and the production of low-calorie foods. 11) W/O/W emulsions are usually created using conventional homogenization technology in a two-step procedure. 12) First, a primary water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion is prepared by homogenizing an oil phase and an aqueous phase together in the presence of a suitable oil-soluble emulsifier (low hydrophilic to lipophilic balance (HLB)<10). Second, W/O/W emulsion is prepared by homogenizing W/O emulsion with another aqueous phase in the presence of a suitable water-soluble emulsifier (high HLB>10). 1) However, the second step often results in high polydispersity or low encapsulation efficiency. Therefo...

Generation of magnesium enriched water-in-oil-in-water food emulsions by stirred cell membrane emulsification

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Preparation of α-Linolenic-Acid-Loaded Water-in-Oil-in-Water Microemulsion and Its Potential as a Fluorescent Delivery Carrier with a Free Label

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<p>Development of Rifapentine-Loaded PLGA-Based Nanoparticles: In vitro Characterisation and in vivo Study in Mice</p>

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