Polyelectrolyte-coated alginate microspheres as drug delivery carriers for dexamethasone release.

R D Jayant, M J McShane, R Srivastava

Index: Drug Deliv. 16(6) , 331-40, (2009)

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Abstract

Alginate microspheres loaded with dexamethasone were prepared by the droplet generator technique. Important parameters affecting drug release, including initial drug content, the type of polyelectrolyte coating, and a combination of different ratios of coated and uncoated microspheres were investigated to achieve in vitro dexamethasone delivery with approximately zero order release kinetics, releasing up to 100% of entrapped drug within 1 month, wherein dexamethasone released at a steady rate of 4.83 microg/day after an initial burst release period. These findings imply that these polyelectrolyte-coated alginate microspheres show promise as release systems to improve biocompatibility and prolong lifetime of implantable glucose sensors.