Micropartículas com revestimento nanoestruturado, contendo diclofenaco, foram preparadas e caracterizadas apresentando um rendimento de 80% e taxa de encapsulação de 83%. A análise morfológica (MEV) permitiu a visualização de nanoestruturas adsorvidas à superfície das micropartículas, que apresentaram uma diminuição da área superficial e do volume de poros em relação ao núcleo. A liberação in vitro do fármaco (pH 5,0 e 7,4) mostrou eficiência de dissolução de 34% e 78% (núcleo), 74% e 83% (mistura física), e 58% e 85% (micropartículas nanorrevestidas), respectivamente. A modelagem matemática mostrou os modelos biexponencial (pH 5,0) e monoexponencial (pH 7,4) como aqueles que melhor descreveram os perfis de liberação. Na tolerância digestiva, os índices lesionais totais foram de 156,1 ± 48,5 para a solução do diclofenaco sódico, de 132,4 ± 45,7 para o núcleo, de 109,1 ± 35,8 para a mistura física e de 29,9 ± 12,1 para as micropartículas, demonstrando o efeito protetor destas micropartículas frente à toxicidade do diclofenaco. Esta estratégia de revestimento apresenta um emprego potencial no desenvolvimento de sistemas de administração oral de fármacos.This work reports the preparation and characterization of polymeric nanostructure-coated diclofenacloaded microparticles. After spray-drying, powders presented 80% of yield and encapsulation efficiency of 83%. SEM analyses showed nanostructures adsorbed onto the surface of microparticles presenting surface area (BET) and pore volumes (BJH) (83 m 2 g -1 , 0.10 cm 3 g -1 ) smaller than the uncoated-core (163 m 2 g -1 , 0.25 cm 3 g -1 ). In vitro drug release experiments at pH 5.0 and 7.4 showed dissolution efficiencies of 34% and 78% (uncoated-core), 74% and 83% (physical mixture of raw materials), and 58% and 85% (nanostructure-coated microparticles), respectively. Mathematical modeling of the dissolution profiles fitted a biexponential model at pH 5.0 and a monoexponential model at pH 7.4. Regarding the digestive tolerance experiments, the total lesional indexes were 156.1 ± 48.5 for sodium diclofenac aqueous solution, 132.4 ± 45.7 for uncoated-core, 109.1 ± 35.8 for physical mixture and 29.9 ± 12.1 for microparticles showing a protective effect of these microparticles against the mucosal diclofenac damage. This strategy of coating presents a potential use for oral administration of drugs.Keywords: diclofenac, polymer, nanostructure-coating, microparticles, gastrointestinal tolerance
IntroductionIn the pharmaceutical field, coating techniques are largely employed in order to produce sustained release dosage forms for oral administration, as well as to protect the drug from inactivation or the gastrointestinal mucosa against drug damage. In general coating processes are carried out on single unit dosage forms, as tablets or capsules, after their production. 1 Several reports in the literature show that the coating of particles presents more advantages compared to the coating of unit dosage forms. 2-4 These advantages are given by the more reproducible gastrointestin...