Quality by design: optimization of a liquid filled pH-responsive macroparticles using Draper-Lin composite design

J Pharm Sci. 2009 Jul;98(7):2401-11. doi: 10.1002/jps.21625.

Abstract

In this study, pH responsive macroparticles incorporating peppermint oil (PO) were prepared using a simple emulsification/polymer precipitation technique. The formulations were examined for their properties and the desired quality was then achieved using a quality by design (QBD) approach. For this purpose, a Draper-Lin small composite design study was employed in order to investigate the effect of four independent variables, including the PO to water ratio, the concentration of pH sensitive polymer (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate), acid and plasticizer concentrations, on the encapsulation efficiency and PO loading. The analysis of variance showed that the polymer concentration was the most important variable on encapsulation efficiency (p < 0.05). The multiple regression analysis of the results led to equations that adequately described the influence of the independent variables on the selected responses. Furthermore, the desirability function was employed as an effective tool for transforming each response separately and encompassing all of these responses in an overall desirability function for global optimization of the encapsulation process. The optimized macroparticles were predicted to yield 93.4% encapsulation efficiency and 72.8% PO loading, which were remarkably close to the experimental values of 89.2% and 69.5%, consequently.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
  • Delayed-Action Preparations / chemistry
  • Drug Compounding / methods*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Mentha piperita
  • Menthol / chemistry
  • Methylcellulose / analogs & derivatives*
  • Methylcellulose / chemistry
  • Plant Oils / chemistry*
  • Research Design

Substances

  • Delayed-Action Preparations
  • Plant Oils
  • Menthol
  • Methylcellulose
  • hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate
  • peppermint oil