Effect of polycaprolactone on in vitro release of melatonin encapsulated niosomes in artificial and whole saliva

In vitro release of melatonin from niosomes with or without polycaprolactone (PCL) into artificial and whole saliva as the receptor media was compared using dissolution-dialysis apparatus. Melatonin niosomes (MN) with high and low PCL incorporation in conjunction with PCL coating were developed. Physicochemical characteristics of MN were investigated. Time to steady state from the release profile (Tss) was observed at 6 h with melatonin solution in both media, while in artificial saliva, that of MN and low-PCL MN at 12 h, and PCL-coated MN 9 h. Tss of all niosome formulations was 12 h using whole saliva. The release kinetics of melatonin from its solution and MN followed first order and Korsmeyer-Peppas models, respectively, indicating that the niosomes modified the diffusion controlled melatonin release. The rates of melatonin release into artificial saliva and whole saliva were reduced by half by niosome encapsulation with or without PCL (p < 0.05, both). Retardation of melatonin release into saliva by using niosomes with PCL modifications could be potentially beneficial for topical use of melatonin in oral cavity.