One-step electrohydrodynamic production of drug-loaded micro- and nanoparticles

Abstract

The objective of this work was to produce drug-loaded nanometre-and micrometre-scale particles using a single-step process that provides control over particle size and size distribution. Co-axial electrohydrodynamic processing was used, at ambient temperature and pressure, with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) as the polymeric coating material and oestradiol as the encapsulated drug. The particle diameter was varied from less than 120 nm to a few micrometres, by simple methodical adjustments in the processing parameters ( polymer concentration and applied voltage). In vitro studies were performed to determine the drug release profile from the particles during unassisted and ultrasound-stimulated degradation in simulated body fluid. An encapsulation efficiency of approximately 70% was achieved and release of the drug was sustained for a period of over 20 days. Exposing the particles to ultrasound (22.5 kHz) increased the rate of release by approximately 8 per cent. This processing method offers several advantages over conventional emulsification techniques for the preparation of drug-loaded particles. Most significantly, process efficiency and the drug's functionality are preserved, as complex multistep processing involving harsh solvents, other additives and elevated temperatures or pressures are avoided. Production rates of 10 12 particles min 21 can be achieved with a single pair of co-axial needles and the process is amenable to being scaled up by using multiple sets.

Advances in drug delivery via electrospun and electrosprayed nanomaterials

“…This technique provides the possibility of directly incorporating a drug into a polymeric carrier in a single step, in contrast to methods that require two or more steps to produce the final drug-loaded particles. 49 Adequate physical interactions between the polymer and the drug are vital for getting sustained and prolonged drug-release behavior. 50 EHDA is not only a promising technique for nanofabrication but also can be considered an amorphization technique.…”

“…With this technique, an encapsulation efficiency of about 70% was obtained with sustained drug release over a period of 20 days. 49 Table 1 shows a list of various electrosprayed particles employed as drug-delivery systems. Considering the advantages of electrospraying over conventional techniques for production of drug-loaded particles, there is still hope for further development of electrosprayed particles for other therapeutic applications.…”

Electrohydrodynamic fabrication of core–shell PLGA nanoparticles with controlled release of cisplatin for enhanced cancer treatment

“…16,17 Recently, electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) has been utilized to successfully encapsulate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs within polymeric carriers, achieving high encapsulation efficiency and exhibiting excellent control over particle size and distribution. [18][19][20][21] Additionally, drug encapsulation using EHDA is a single-step procedure requiring no subsequent processing steps to remove solvents or templating agents, in effect producing delivery agents that can be directly utilized in vivo without further pretreatment. 22 Importantly, of the various electro-encapsulation processes that have been investigated, coaxial EHDA processing holds immense potential for producing nanovector CS structures that may reduce any burst release characteristics and achieve near zero-order release kinetics.…”

Release profile and characteristics of electrosprayed particles for oral delivery of a practically insoluble drug

“…The evaporation process is critical for determining particle properties such as size and morphology and must therefore be carefully studied [52]. The applied voltage during spraying has also been shown to have an influence on the particle characteristics such as particle morphology [53]. However, in this work, the voltage was kept in the earlier specified range to reduce its influence on the particle characteristics.…”