In vitro controlled release of clove essential oil in self-assembly of amphiphilic polyethylene glycol-block-polycaprolactone

Abstract

In this study, a micellar delivery system with an amphiphilic diblock copolymer of poly (ethylene glycol) and poly (ɛ-caprolactone) was synthesised and used to incorporate hydrophobic clove essential oil (CEO). To determine an optimal delivery system, the effects of the copolymer’s hydrophobic block length and the CEO-loading content on the encapsulation of CEO were investigated. Percentages of entrapment efficiency (%EE), CEO loading (%CEO), and in vitro release profiles were determined. The size, size distribution, zeta potential, and morphology of the obtained micelles were determined by DLS, FE-SEM, and TEM. The %EE, %CEO, and in vitro release profiles of CEO incorporated in micelles were analysed by HPLC. The study revealed a sustained release profile of CEO from CEO-loaded micelles. The results indicate the successful formulation of CEO-loaded PEG-b-PCL micelle nanoparticles. It is suggested that this micelle system has considerably potential applications in the sustained release of CEO in intravascular drug delivery.

Keywords:

• clove essential oil
• amphiphilic micelle
• PEG
• PCL
• controlled release
• biodegradable polymer

Acknowledgements

Authors acknowledge Central Scientific Instrument Centre (CSIC), Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University for supporting characterisation of the micellar NPs.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

The authors gratefully acknowledge Thammasat University Research Fund of the year 2013 for the financial support (Grant No. 07/2556).