Poly(ester amide) blend microspheres for oral insulin delivery

This study developed a novel oral insulin formulation centered on microspheres consisting of a blend of biodegradable poly(ester amide) (PEA). In the formulation, L-lysine-/L-leucine-based PEA with pendant COOH groups (PEA-COOH) was used as a pH-responsive material for the protection of insulin from the harsh environmental conditions of the stomach. Arginine-based PEA (Arg-PEA) was introduced to improve the intestinal absorption of the drug. The influence of both the hydrophobicity of PEA-COOH and the content of Arg-PEA was investigated in detail on microsphere surface morphology, drug loading, and the in vitro release profile of insulin. The PEA-COOH/Arg-PEA blend microspheres protected the loaded insulin in simulated gastric fluid and released insulin in a fast and sustained manner in simulated intestinal fluid. The in vivo test demonstrated that the oral administration of insulin-loaded PEA blend microspheres could effectively suppress the blood glucose level in diabetic rats for 10h, and the oral bioavailability was improved to 5.89 + 1.84% in healthy rats. These results indicate that the PEA blend microspheres are promising vehicles for the oral delivery of insulin. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.