Microspheres of alginate-chitosan containing isoniazid

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Isoniazid encapsulation is challenging due to its hydrophilic nature.
• Complex coacervation in emulsion systems has limitations for hydrophilic drugs.
• Adsorption offers a potential alternative for microencapsulating isoniazid.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a new method for microencapsulating isoniazid using alginate-chitosan microspheres.
• To investigate the adsorption of isoniazid onto pre-formed microspheres.
• To characterize the morphology, size, drug content, and in vitro release of the isoniazid-loaded microspheres.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of alginate-chitosan microspheres via a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion method.
• Adsorption of isoniazid onto the isolated microspheres.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology and particle size.
• Quantification of isoniazid content via UV/VIS spectrophotometry.
• In vitro drug release studies in phosphate buffer (pH 7.5).

Main Results:

• Spherical alginate-chitosan microspheres were successfully prepared.
• The W/O emulsion method yielded particles with a narrow size distribution.
• Analysis indicated isoniazid adsorption onto the microsphere surface, likely through ionic interactions.
• In vitro release studies demonstrated the drug release profile.

Conclusions:

• The proposed adsorption method is effective for microencapsulating isoniazid in alginate-chitosan microspheres.
• The method overcomes limitations associated with hydrophilic drug encapsulation.
• The resulting microspheres show potential for controlled drug delivery applications.