Optimization of formulation variables affecting spray-dried oily core nanocapsules by response surface methodology

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Developing effective drug delivery systems is crucial for improving therapeutic outcomes.
• Oily core nanocapsules (NCs) offer potential for enhanced drug encapsulation and controlled release.
• Optimization of formulation variables is key to achieving desired nanocapsule properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize formulation variables for spray-dried oily core nanocapsules (NCs) with targeted size and drug payload.
• To characterize the optimized NCs for physical and drug release properties.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the Box-Behnken design in predicting NC characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Box-Behnken experimental design for optimization.
• Spray-drying technique for NC production.
• Characterization using dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, UV spectrometry, powder X-ray diffraction, and density-gradient centrifugation.

Main Results:

• Optimized formulation yielded NCs of 284.1 nm with 95.7% encapsulation efficiency (EE%).
• Oil and surfactant amounts significantly impacted NC size, while polymer, oil, and surfactant amounts affected EE%.
• NCs exhibited sustained drug release, fitting the Ritger-Peppas model (R(2) > 0.930).

Conclusions:

• Spray-dried oily core NCs were successfully produced with controlled size and high EE%.
• The Box-Behnken design is an effective tool for predicting nanocapsule size and encapsulation.
• Optimized NCs demonstrate potential for sustained drug delivery applications.