Performance Optimization of Sustained Release Arginine Alginate Microbeads with a Natural Polysaccharide

Objectives: The design of effective and safe novel drug delivery systems has become an integral part for the development and formulating of new medicines. So, research continuously keeps on searching for new ways to deliver drugs over a long period of time or for a well-controlled release profile, to minimizing the loss of drug, to reduce the side effect. The objective of this study was to develop suitable microbeads of L-arginine for sustained release delivery by varying the alginate concentrations, starch concentrations using analytical and statistical approaches.
Materials and Methods: The work investigates the development and optimization of novel microbeads of potato starch-alginate blend containing L-arginine by ionotropic gelation using response surface methodology. Response surface methodology was found to be satisfactory for describing the relationships between formulation set variables and response variables. The influence of various formulation factors such as In vitro drug release, entrapment efficiency, SEM, analysis, swelling study and micromeritic properties, was investigated. These were also characterized by SEM, analysis.
Results: L-arginie containing microbeads were in the size range of 0.175 ± 0.02 to 0.226 ± 0.02 mm. The drug entrapment efficiencies were found in the range of 42.5 ± 1.83% to 91.2 ± 1.05% and the drug release were found at 10 h in the range 84.568 ± 2.75% to 99.761 ± 1.99%. The release pattern observed was a biphasic, characterized by an initial burst effect followed by slow release. No significant change was found during stability studies of optimized formulation at different temperature and humidity conditions as per ICH guidelines.
Conclusion: The data suggest that sweet potato flour is a potentially useful natural material for making sustained release L-arginine loaded microbeads by the ionotropic gelation technique.