Quality by design approach for formulation development and evaluation of carboplatin loaded ethylcellulose nanosponges

Abstract

Nanosponges, porous nanocarriers were explored for encapsulation of carboplatin by employing a quality by design approach. Nanosponges were prepared by double emulsion solvent evaporation using the central composite design. Ethylcellulose, 450 mg, polyvinyl alcohol, 2.3% (w/v) and phase evaporation rate, 760 rpm yielded the optimized spherical particles of size 272.92 ± 12.31 nm, PDI 0.390, with zeta charge of −22.3 mV. The entrapment efficiency of carboplatin-loaded nanosponges was 56.27 ± 2.52%. A sustained carboplatin release of 79.03% and 95.94% within 12 h at pH 4.5 and 6.8, respectively suggested that nanosponges could be promising carriers for sustained release of hydrophilic therapeutic candidates.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Carboplatin
• central composite design
• ethylcellulose nanosponges
• optimization
• quality by design
• risk assessment

Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge Punjab University College of Pharmacy, University of Punjab, Lahore for the provision of the required facilities for the preparation and characterization of nanosponges. We are also thankful to NUST University, Islamabad for extending the Lab facilities for performing scanning electron microscopy studies.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).