Preparation and in vitro evaluation of ethyl cellulose microspheres containing stavudine by the double emulsion method

The aim of this study was to formulate and evaluate microspheres of stavudine by water-in-oil-in-oil (w/o/o) double emulsion solvent diffusion method using ethyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose in combination with polyvinyl pyrrolidone. A mixed solvent system consisting of acetonitrile and dichloromethane in an 1 : 1 ratio and light liquid paraffin was chosen as primary and secondary oil phase, respectively. Span 80 was used as surfactant for stabilizing the secondary oil phase. The influence of formulation factors like stirring speed, surfactant concentration on particle size and polymer: drug ratio and combination of polymers on drug release characteristics of the microspheres was investigated. The prepared microspheres characterized by micrometric properties, drug loading, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder difractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The prepared microspheres were white, free flowing and spherical in shape, stable in nature, with 41-65% of drug entrapment efficiency. The best-fit release kinetics was achieved with Higuchi plot followed by first order and zero order. The release of stavudine was influenced by the drug to polymer ratio, particle size and polymer combination.