Generation of pH responsive fluorescent nano capsules through simple steps for the oral delivery of low pH susceptible drugs
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Date
2016
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MATERIALS RESEARCH EXPRESS
Abstract
pH responsive nano capsules are promising as it can encapsulate low pH susceptible drugs like insulin and guard them from the hostile environments in the intestinal tract. The strong acidity of the gastrointestinal tract and the presence of proteolytic enzymes are the tumbling blocks for the design of drug delivery vehicles through oral route for drugs like insulin. Nano capsules are normally built over templates which are subsequently removed by further steps. Such processes are complex and often lead into deformed and collapsed capsules. In this study, we choose calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nano particles to serve as template. Over CaCO3 nanoparticles, silica layers were built followed by polymethacrylic acid chains to acquire pH responsiveness. During the polymerization process of the methacrylic acid, the calcium carbonate core particles were dissolved leading to the formation of nano hollow capsules having a size that ranges from 225 to 246 nm and thickness from 19 to 58 nm. The methodology is simple and devoid of additional steps. The nano shells exhibited 80% release of the loaded model drug, insulin at pH 7.4 while at pH 2.0 the capsules nearly stopped the release of the drug. Polymethacrylic acid shows pH responsive swelling behavior that it swells at intestinal pH (7.0-7.5) and shrinks at gastric pH (similar to 2.0) thus enabling the safe unloading of the drug from the nano capsules.
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Materials Science
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3 ,11;-