Gheorghita Roxana, Sirbu Ioan-Ovidiu, Lobiuc Andrei, Covasa Mihai
Department of Biochemistry, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.
The Department of Biological and Morphofunctional Sciences, College of Medicine and Biological Science, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania.
Biomimetics (Basel). 2024 Nov 20;9(11):716. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics9110716.
The use of biopolymers in pharmaceuticals is well established, particularly for encapsulating biologically active compounds due to their beneficial properties. Alginate, widely recognized for its excellent encapsulation abilities, is the most commonly used biopolymer, while starch, typically known as insoluble dietary fiber, also serves as an effective agent for trapping and protecting compounds during processing, storage, and gastrointestinal transit. Sodium alginate-starch capsules with varying compositions were analyzed to develop metformin hydrochloride (MET) containing capsules with adequate physicochemical properties. In vitro testing with simulated gastrointestinal fluids showed that after 1 h, capsules with equal amounts of alginate and starch had a higher swelling ratio and better drug release behavior, despite lower MET entrapment efficiency compared to other formulations. Microstructural analysis revealed stability in simulated gastric fluids and solubility in simulated intestinal fluids, key factors in drug development. The results suggest that these biopolymeric compositions are highly resistant to gastric fluids and minimally soluble in the intestines, making them suitable for extended drug release. This research evaluates key technological parameters of a cost-effective encapsulation method for the controlled release of active substances, providing a versatile solution for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.
生物聚合物在制药领域的应用已得到充分确立，特别是因其有益特性而用于封装生物活性化合物。海藻酸盐因其出色的封装能力而广为人知，是最常用的生物聚合物，而通常被视为不溶性膳食纤维的淀粉，在加工、储存和胃肠道转运过程中，也是捕获和保护化合物的有效介质。对不同组成的海藻酸钠 - 淀粉胶囊进行了分析，以开发出具有适当理化性质的含盐酸二甲双胍（MET）胶囊。用模拟胃肠液进行的体外测试表明，1小时后，藻酸盐和淀粉含量相等的胶囊具有更高的溶胀率和更好的药物释放行为，尽管与其他制剂相比MET包封效率较低。微观结构分析揭示了在模拟胃液中的稳定性和在模拟肠液中的溶解性，这是药物开发中的关键因素。结果表明，这些生物聚合物组合物对胃液具有高度抗性，在肠道中溶解性极低，使其适用于延长药物释放。本研究评估了一种用于活性物质控释的经济高效封装方法的关键技术参数，为制药和生物医学应用提供了一种通用解决方案。
