Preparation and Characterization of Spray-Dried Gelatin Microspheres Encapsulating Ganciclovir

Abstract

The aim of this study was to prepare ganciclovir (GCV)-loaded cross-linked gelatin microspheres byspray-drying method. The microspheres were characterized in terms of particle size, surface morphology, loadingefficiency, thermal behavior, physical characteristics, swelling properties, and the release profile in vitro. The majorprocess and formulation parameters were optimized to obtain smaller particles with high loading capacity. The physicalstate examination confirmed the molecular-level dispersion of drug in the polymer. The loading efficiency determinedby high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was around 68%. The in vitro release experimentsrevealed that the GCV released from the gelatin microspheres was related to the extent of swelling, which was proportionalto the drug-to-polymer ratio. These results suggest that cross-linked gelatin microspheres could be a suitabledrug-delivery system for GCV.