Encapsulation of Ibuprofen by Pickering-Stabilized Antibubbles.

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Materials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Ibuprofen, a common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), suffers from poor taste and low solubility, limiting its oral administration.
• Developing effective drug delivery systems is crucial for overcoming formulation challenges and improving therapeutic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the encapsulation of ibuprofen in Pickering antibubbles as a strategy to mask taste and enhance solubility.
• To characterize the ibuprofen-loaded antibubbles and assess the impact of the encapsulation process on the drug's properties.

Main Methods:

• Ibuprofen was encapsulated in Pickering antibubbles using cyclomethicone and cyclooctane as processing aids.
• Thermogravimetry (TG) was used to quantify the loaded ibuprofen.
• Evolved gas analysis by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy-mass spectrometry (EGA-FTIR-MS) elucidated the drug's decomposition mechanism.
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and Raman microscopy were employed for material characterization.

Main Results:

• The encapsulation process resulted in a slight amorphization of ibuprofen within the antibubbles, confirmed by DSC, XRPD, and Raman microscopy.
• Dissolution profiles and zeta potential were not significantly affected by the preparation method.
• The decomposition mechanism of ibuprofen was analyzed using EGA-FTIR-MS.

Conclusions:

• Pickering antibubbles provide a viable and relatively simple method for ibuprofen taste masking.
• This encapsulation technique shows potential for improving ibuprofen's solubility and enabling targeted drug delivery.
• Further research into antibubble formulations could lead to advanced pharmaceutical delivery systems.