Pharmaceutica Analytica Acta

Bioactive PCL matrices with a range of structural and rheological properties

8^th International Conference and Exhibition on Pharmaceutics & Novel Drug Delivery Systems

March 07-09, 2016 Madrid, Spain

Gavin M Walker, Paula Douglas, Manuel Kuhs and Ahmad B Albadarin

University of Limerick, Ireland
Queen s University Belfast, UK

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Pharm Anal Acta

Abstract:

Safer pharmaceutical and medical devices excipient are being sought as alternatives to polyvinyl polymers that are commonly plasticised by carcinogenic phthalates. This paper demonstrates a biodegradable and non-toxic bioactive polymer matrix whose structural and rheological properties can be easily modified by the amount of added plasticiser, while being only mildly affected by the presence of a low dosage API. Poly(ε�??caprolactone) (PCL) was selected as an alternative polymer to polyvinyls as it is biodegradable and has high amorphous content, which improves drug solubility. Bulk PCL and various blends with 5 and 25% polyethylene glycol (PEG, a plasticiser and pore former) and 5% nalidixic acid (NA, the bioactive) were processed using extrusion and pressed into plaques. The resultant material properties were investigated in terms of microscopic, morphological and topographical modification. No evidence of miscibility was found by IR. The rheology and contact angle of the matrix could be easily manipulated through the addition of PEG. An increased loading of PEG to 25% (w/w) caused a 10 fold increase in the melt flow index, a similar increase in the elongational viscosity, and a contact angle decrease of 10°, indicating that the resultant fluid was becoming more Newtonian. It was concluded that the structural and rheological properties of the blend, while easily modified through the addition of PEG, were unaffected by the monodispersion of the API, nalidixic acid.

Biography :

Email: gavin.walker@ul.ie