73
Views
14
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

Microencapsulation of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) with poly(ortho ester) polymers by interfacial polycondensation

, , , &
Pages 637-651 | Received 18 Nov 2002, Accepted 20 Apr 2003, Published online: 02 Jul 2010
 

Abstract

An original encapsulation process of DHEA was developed, based on the formation of poly(ortho ester) membrane from interfacial polycondensation in an oil-in-oil emulsion. First, the formation of poly(ortho ester) (POE) in solution under anhydrous conditions between a polyol, a lactide diol and a diketene acetal (3,9-diethylidene-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro-[5.5]-undecane) was studied in order to determine the structural and thermal characteristics of the POE polymer. The optimization of the formation of a fine and stable emulsion with the required size distribution was performed in relation with the type of the internal and external phases, the type and the concentration of the surfactant and the stirring rate and duration. The diffusion of monomers and DHEA was evaluated by GC-MS analysis in order to determine the mechanisms of the membrane formation. Finally the synthesis of poly(ortho ester) DHEA-loaded microcapsules was performed under anhydrous conditions required by the particular synthesis of POE. Stable poly(ortho ester) microcapsules containing DHEA were obtained with particle sizes ∼ 1 μm.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.