Title : Advances in hydrophilic drug delivery: Encapsulation of biotin in alginate microparticles
Abstract:
The encapsulation of hydrophilic drugs within microparticles has gained significant interest in drug delivery systems due to their potential to improve the stability, bioavailability, and controlled release of therapeutic agents. Biotin, a water-soluble vitamin, faces challenges such as rapid degradation and poor membrane permeability, limiting its therapeutic efficacy. This study aims to explore the formulation of biotin-loaded microparticles made with alginate, Eudragit E100, and CaCl2, and to evaluate their characterization and potential applications. The microparticles were produced using the external ionic gelation process, where alginate and CaCl2 solutions were mixed under probe sonication. Eudragit E100 was added as a complexing agent. The optimized formulation was used to encapsulate biotin, and various experimental variables were screened to study their influence on the properties of the microparticles. Biotin was encapsulated in alginate microparticles (size: 634 nm; polydispersity: 0.26; Z-potential: -45 mV) with an encapsulation efficiency of 90.5%. The Z-potential value indicates that the particles are stable (±30 mV).Their in-vitro release profiles were studied using vertical diffusion Franz cells showing a controlled release profile, which follows the Weibull model, highlighting also the critical influence of the carrier’s internal structure on the release mechanism. Encapsulation techniques offer a promising approach to overcoming the limitations of hydrophilic drug delivery. The study successfully formulated and optimized biotin-loaded microparticles using alginate, Eudragit E100, and CaCl2. These microparticles show high encapsulation efficiency, suitable physicochemical properties, and controlled release, making them potential candidates for therapeutic and cosmetic applications in both topical and oral formulations. Additional research is required to improve the scale-up process.
