Novel preparation of enteric-coated chitosan-prednisolone conjugate microspheres and in vitro evaluation of their potential as a colonic delivery system

After chitosan-succinyl-prednisolone conjugate (Ch-SP) was synthesized, conjugate microspheres (Ch-SP-MS), Eudragit L100-coated Ch-SP-MS and Eudragit S100-coated Ch-SP-MS, were prepared under novel preparative conditions. Namely, sonication was utilized to prepare finer Ch-SP-MS, and the addition ratio of Eudragit was reduced to yield Eudragit-coated Ch-SP-MS with higher drug content. Ch-SP-MS and Eudragit-coated Ch-SP-MS had mean sizes of 1.3 μm and approximately 30 μm, respectively, and showed prednisolone (PD) contents of 4.6% (w/w) and approximately 3% (w/w), respectively. Morphological changes of all the types of microparticles in different pH media were observed by scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Both methods gave similar results. Both types of Eudragit-coated Ch-SP-MS protected Ch-SP-MS from morphological change at pH 1.2, and regenerated Ch-SP-MS fast at pH 6.8 and 7.4. For all types of microparticles, release of PD was suppressed at pH 1.2, but caused gradually at pH 6.8. These particle characteristics and in vitro behaviors demonstrated that the present Eudragit-coated Ch-SP-MS were considered potentially suitable for in vivo or practical application as a specific delivery system of PD to IBD sites.