Abstract
Microsponges are micro-porous particles, used mainly for topical and recently for oral administration. Microsponges have many advantages which make it a versatile drug delivery system. Microsponges can suspended or entrap a wide variety of substances and then be incorporated into a formulated product such as a gel, cream, liquid, or powder. Moreover, they may enhance stability, reduce side effects and modify drug release related to its porous structure which allows the active ingredient to sustain over time. This article aims to provide details about microsponges including the method of preparation, characterization, mechanism of drug release from microsponges, different formulation, and process factors, and a few applications about microsponges that are either proven or under research. Besides, microsponges improve stability, increase elegance, and enhance formulation flexibility. Previous studies were done and confirmed that microsponges are non-irritant, non-allergenic, non-mutagenic, and non-toxic. This technology is being used currently in cosmetics, sunscreens, and prescription products. Therefore, the microsponges based drug delivery technology is likely to become a valuable drug delivery matrix substance for various therapeutic applications in the future.
Highlights
With advances in biotechnology, genomics, and combinatorial chemistry, a wide variety of new, more potent and specific therapeutics are being created
Different drug delivery systems designed to provide a therapeutic agent in the needed amount, at the right time, to the proper location in the body, in a manner that optimizes efficacy, increase compliance and minimize side effects
Microsponges loaded with hydrophilic active ingredients such as antiseptics and antiperspirants will be released in the presence of aqueous media
Summary
Genomics, and combinatorial chemistry, a wide variety of new, more potent and specific therapeutics are being created. Microsponges are polymeric delivery system composed of porous microspheres which having a particle size range of 5-300 μm with a capability to entrap a wide range of active ingredients and are used as a carrier for topical drug delivery, as shown in Figure 1 (Junqueira and Bruschi, 2018). Microsponges are designed to deliver a pharmaceutically active ingredient efficiently at the minimum dose and to enhance stability, reduce side effects, and modify drug release profiles. These attributes have been successfully demonstrated in the FDA-approved Retin-A Micro® (0.1% or 0.04% tretinoin) and Carac (0.5% 5-fluorouracil) products for acne treatment and actinic keratoses, respectively (Shah and Shah, 2014). Microsponges are considered a good candidate to deliver different active ingredients to different drug delivery systems related to its advantages such as; microsponges are biologically safe (non-allergic, non-toxic, nonirritant and non-mutagenic) (D'souza and More, 2008), have the capacity to absorb or load a high degree of active materials into the particle or into its surface (Embil and Nacht, 1996), stable over a pH range of 1-11 and temperature up to 130 oC, selfsterilizing as average pore size is 0.25 μm where bacteria cannot penetrate, able to entrap various ingredients in a single microsphere with size 10-25 μm, microsponges are chemical, physical, and thermally stable, have a good compatibility with various vehicles and ingredients, provide a continuous action up to 12 h, which means that these particles can extend drug release, so improve product elegancy, and payload is up to 50-60 %, with an advantage of cost effectiveness over the other formulations (Joshi and RajandeepKaur, 2016)
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