Microfluidic Fabrication of Monodisperse Microcapsules for Thermo-Triggered Release of Liposoluble Drugs

Yuanyuan Wang,Jinghua Gong,Jinghong Ma,Yongyue Li

doi:10.3390/polym12102200

Abstract

Here, we report a novel thermo-triggered-releasing microcapsule for liposoluble drug delivery. Monodisperse microcapsules with a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) hydrogel shell and an oil core were successfully fabricated by a double coaxial microfluidic device. Fluorescent dye Lumogen Red F300 as a model liposoluble drug was dissolved in the oil core with controllable loading capacity. The volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of the microcapsule was adjusted by copolymerizing with the hydrophilic methacrylic acid. The in vitro release study demonstrates that the shells shrink, leading to the thermo-triggered release of the model drug from the microcapsules at the environmental temperature above the VPTT, while the swollen hydrogel shells can protect the encapsulated drug from leakage and contamination below the VPTT. The proposed microcapsule is a promising liposoluble drug delivery system with controllable loading and smart thermo-triggered release.

Highlights

Microcapsules have been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry because they can mask unpleasant drug tastes and odors, control drug release, reduce adverse drug reactions, and prevent undesirable degradation
The P(NIPA-co-methacrylic acid (MAA)) microcapsules were prepared by a double coaxial microfluidic device
Core were successfully fabricated by a double coaxial microfluidic device

Summary

Introduction

Microcapsules have been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry because they can mask unpleasant drug tastes and odors, control drug release, reduce adverse drug reactions, and prevent undesirable degradation. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) is a well-known thermo-sensitive polymer with a dramatic phase transition property when the environmental temperature changes across its lower critical solution temperature. The VPTT of the PNIPA hydrogel can be regulated by copolymerizing with a hydrophilic monomer such as methacrylic acid (MAA) [14,15,16], which approaches the physiological temperature. Due to such fantastic and reversible thermo-sensitive properties, PNIPA microcapsules have been extensively studied as temperature-triggered systems for the controlled release of drugs and chemicals [17,18]

Methods

Results

Conclusion