Preparation of pelargonic acid vesicles and sustained drug release

Abstract

This study has selected the medium-chain saturated fatty acid pelargonic acid as the raw material for the first time, and added the surface catalyst Tween 80 to the aqueous solution to form pelargonic acid–Tween 80 composite vesicles by a surface tension method. The compound vesicle was used to encapsulate five heterocyclic drugs (cefazolin sodium, chlorpromazine hydrochloride, gemcitabine hydrochloride, metronidazole, and isoniazid), all of which have disadvantages when used directly, and the effects of the vesicles on the five kinds of drugs were evaluated in terms of encapsulation rate and the in vitro sustained release in a simulated artificial intestinal fluid environment. The results revealed that the pelargonic acid–Tween 80 composite vesicles exhibit an encapsulation efficiency above 45%, and that the encapsulated drugs achieve a cumulative release effect of 6–10 h in a simulated artificial intestinal fluid environment, and the cumulative release rate is above 35%. This study proves that pelargonic acid–Tween 80 composite vesicles can be used as a carrier for encapsulated drugs, and this can extend the time of action of the drugs. This research illustrates the potential for application of pelargonic acid in the field of medicine.