In this work, high surface area mesoporous silica (SBA-15) was loaded with paclitaxel (taxol, PTX) and was further entrapped into poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs). A modified solvent evaporation-emulsion method was used in order to formulate the composite microparticles with sizes of 8-12μm. PTX loaded SBA-15 as well as the PLGA/PTX-SBA-15 composites were characterized in terms of their morphology, crystal structure and thermal properties. Drug content, loading efficiency, particle size and the in-vitro drug release kinetics of the PLGA/PTΧ-SBA-15 microspheres were also investigated. The in vitro release studies were carried out using Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) at 37°C revealing that the prepared formulations present higher dissolution rate than pure PTX and sustained pattern which is ideal for anticancer carriers. Modeling and data analysis of the in vitro drug release was also investigated. It was also shown that all microparticles have low cytotoxicity in HUVE cells. Finally, it was found that drug loaded microparticles are very effective in Human Cervical Adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells.
Keywords: Composite microparticles; Drug encapsulation; High surface area mesoporous silica; PLGA; Paclitaxel; SBA-15; Topical chemotherapy.
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