Incorporating halloysite nanotube/carvedilol nanohybrids into gelatin microsphere as a novel oral pH-sensitive drug delivery system

Abstract

Nanocomposites based on biopolymers have grown in importance for improving the drug loading capacity, bioavailability, solubility, and the creation of a sustained-release mechanism for poorly soluble pharmaceuticals, representing an excellent challenge in pharmaceutical discovery and development. Carvedilol (CAR) is a drug which currently used for hypertension, congestive treat heart failure, and coronary artery diseases. CAR has limited water solubility and bioavailability in its pure form, which limits its clinical applicability. As a result, more research and development of an alternative drug delivery method are required in order to improve the pharmacological properties of CAR while also reducing the negative effects of standard therapeutic therapy. The objective of the present study was the development of a new CAR drug delivery system. In this regard, CAR loaded into halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) was capsulated in a pH-sensitive gelatin-based microsphere (HNTs/CAR@GM). The gelatin encapsulated HNTs/CAR microsphere (HNTs/CAR@GM) was characterized using UV–Vis, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TGA, and BET analysis. In vitro drug release studies demonstrated that HNTs/CAR@GM shows pH-responsive release characteristics with rapid drug release under acidic situations (pH = 1.2). Moreover, the in vitro MTT assay revealed that the HNTs/CAR@GM has non-toxic against Caco-2 cells. According to the results, the prepared HNTs/CAR@GM could be utilized as an oral drug delivery system.