Effect of an Excipient on the Formation of PLGA Particles Using Supercritical Fluid

In this study, we employed hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) as an excipient to produce poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fine particles by a supercritical fluid process, called aerosol solvent extraction system (ASES), and investigated the effect of HP-beta-CD content on the morphology of the particles. The influence of HP-beta-CD on the drug release characteristics of paclitaxel-loaded PLGA particles was also evaluated. Fine particles were obtained when the HP-beta-CD content in PLGA/HP-beta-CD mixtures was greater than 40% and 30%, respectively, for PLGA(75:25) and PLGA(50:50), whereas a film-like precipitate was obtained for lower HP-beta-CD content. The release rate for paclitaxel loaded PLGA(75:25)/HP-beta-CD particles was found to increase with HP-beta-CD content.