Influence of Benzyl Benzoate as Oil Core on the Physicochemical Properties of Spray-Dried Powders from Polymeric Nanocapsules Containing Indomethacin

Abstract

To prepare spray-dried powders of poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PLA) or poly-epsilon-caprolactone (P epsilonC) from colloidal suspensions containing indomethacin (IND) using benzyl benzoate (BnB), nanocapsules (NC) were prepared by nanoprecipitation. To select the best NC formulations, increasing drug concentrations were tested (1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 mg/mL). The particle size was measured by Nanosizer. Spray-dried powders (SDP) were prepared by addition of Aerosil 200 into suspensions of NC. IND was assayed by HPLC. Free IND was determined using an Ultrafree. NC-SPD were examined under SEM. The particle sizes of all formulations are in the sub-300 nm range and are IND-associated, with drug recovery close to 100%. After 1 month, the formulations with highest drug content (2.0 mg/mL) showed a decline of total quantity of IND. After spray-drying, IND recovery for SDP presented values above 100%, indicating that the drug was concentrated from loss of mass during the process. To verify the relationship of oil phase with this loss of mass, similar NC (IND 1.5 mg/mL) prepared with Miglyol 810 (MI) were spray-dried, and SEM analysis showed nanostructures adsorbed onto SiO2. Similar nano-structures were not visualized for NC samples prepared with BnB. A swelling experiment showed the complete dissolution of both polymer by the BnB, whereas for MI the polymer masses remained unchanged. In conclusion, BnB is a solvent for PLA and P epsilonC and this ester is entrained during spray-drying. Despite the use of BnB in formulations of NC, PLA, or P epsilonC, colloidal suspensions prepared with BnB could be micelles instead of nanocapsules.