Electrosprayed inulin microparticles for microbiota triggered targeting of colon

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Inulin, a natural polysaccharide, requires modification for advanced fabrication techniques like electrospraying.
• Electrospraying offers a facile, single-step method for microparticle production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop acetylated inulin acetate (INA) microparticles for drug delivery.
• To optimize electrospraying parameters for fabricating indomethacin-loaded INA microparticles.
• To evaluate the colon-targeting potential of these INA microparticles.

Main Methods:

• Acetylation of inulin to create inulin acetate (INA).
• Optimization of electrospraying parameters for spherical and monodisperse microparticle fabrication.
• Loading of indomethacin (IDM) into INA microparticles.
• Characterization using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction.
• In vitro release studies in simulated gastrointestinal fluids.

Main Results:

• Achieved high apparent entrapment efficiency (100%) and working encapsulation efficiency (35.39 ± 1.63%) for IDM.
• Confirmed molecular dispersion of IDM in an amorphous state within the INA matrix.
• Demonstrated enzyme-specific drug release, with IDM released only in simulated colonic fluid containing inulinase.

Conclusions:

• Acetylation of inulin does not affect its susceptibility to inulinase.
• INA microparticles fabricated via electrospraying are suitable for colon-targeting drug delivery.
• This approach offers a viable strategy for developing targeted pharmaceutical formulations.