Cubic phase-forming dry powders for controlled drug delivery on mucosal surfaces

The purpose of this study was to prepare and physicochemically characterize protein-loaded, glycerol monooleate (GMO)-based dry powder systems, which can be used for the controlled mucosal delivery of macromolecules (e.g., nasal, buccal, pulmonary). Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-loaded powders were prepared by spray-drying, freeze-drying and/or spray-freezing using different types of carrier materials, including mannitol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP 25) and polyethylene glycols (PEGs). The systems were characterized by optical and polarized light microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, gel electrophoresis and diffusion studies. The type of carrier material strongly affected the resulting particle size and shape. The presence of GMO effectively slowed down BSA release. Importantly, broad ranges of release patterns could be achieved by varying the type of preparation method and composition of the dry powders. In all cases, the primary structure of the BSA remained intact. GMO, which is a wax solid at room temperature, has been successfully converted into dry powder formulations that offer potential for the controlled mucosal delivery of proteins.