Metformin-loaded alginate nanoparticles as an effective antidiabetic agent for controlled drug release

Present modalities for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes still suffer from certain limitations such as erratic absorption, need of high dose, poor sensitivity or specificity, resistance, substantial morbidity and mortality, long-term complications, and patient-to-patient variability with lifetime treatment.

This study focused on the development of a water-in-oil-in-water metformin nanoemulsion as an effective method in diabetes treatment. As a Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) class III drug, metformin is hydrophilic in nature with high solubility and poor absorption characteristics. To simultaneously facilitate gastrointestinal absorption and intestinal permeability, metformin was loaded into alginate nanocapsules prepared by an emulsion cross-linking technology.

These prepared metformin-loaded alginate nanoparticles (MLANs) were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS)-based particle size analysis.

The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency in MLANs were 3.12 mg (the amount of metformin added in 100 mg of nanoparticles) and 78%, respectively. The results of in-vitro drug release studies and in-vivo efficacy tests (using animal models) demonstrated enhanced efficiency and response of MLANs relative to pure metformin. The efficacy of MLANs (46.8 mg/kg) was overall about three times higher than that of pure metformin150 mg/kg.