Blend microspheres of poly (glycolide-co-ε-caprolactone) and ethyl cellulose for the controlled release of 5-fluorouracil

In this present study, a series of copolymers with diverse compositions were produced using bulk ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and ?-caprolactone, using stannous(II) octoate as initiator. 1H, 13C NMR, and FTIR spectroscopy were used to characterize the resultant copolymers. After-wards, the oil/water emulsion evaporation technique was used to create blend microspheres of poly (glycolide-co-?-caprolactone) and ethylcellulose in order to investigate the controlled release of 5-fluorouracil, an anticancer drug. The size distribution of the microspheres was studied by optical microscope, which confirmed their spherical nature with sizes ranging from 112 to 186?m, FTIR and X-ray diffraction were used to confirm the polymer blend compatibility and to confirm the absence of drug-polymer interactions. Moreover, in vitro release experiments were performed at 37?C in simulated buffer medium of the stomach (pH=1.2) for 2h, and simulated intestinal medium (pH=7.4). It was found that the release of 5-fluorouracil from blend microspheres followed pH-independent release as compared to that of plain poly(?-caprolactone) and ethylcellulose microspheres for more than 10h. Furthermore, to better understand the nature of the drug release profiles, release data was fitted to empirical models.