The applicability of ordered mesoporous SBA-15 and its hydrophobic glutaraldehyde-bridge derivative to improve ibuprofen-loading in releasing system

• Ordered mesoporous SBA-15 silica was post-synthesis organofunctionalized.
• Synthesized glutaraldehyde containing silylating agent forms stable bridge silica.
• The synthesized silicas were used to deliver ibuprofen in biological fluids.
• The hydrophobic bridge contributed in high drug load capacity and control release.
• These silica systems open the opportunity of single daily dose administration.

The mesoporous SBA-15 silica with uniform hexagonal pore, narrow pore size distribution and tuneable pore diameter was organofunctionalized with glutaraldehyde-bridged silylating agent. The precursor and its derivative silicas were ibuprofen-loaded for controlled delivery in simulated biological fluids. The synthesized silicas were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, 13C and 29Si solid state NMR spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetry and scanning electron microscopy. Surface functionalization with amine containing bridged hydrophobic structure resulted in significantly decreased surface area from 802.4 to 63.0 m2 g−1 and pore diameter 8.0–6.0 nm, which ultimately increased the drug-loading capacity from 18.0% up to 28.3% and a very slow release rate of ibuprofen over the period of 72.5 h. The in vitro drug release demonstrated that SBA-15 presented the fastest release from 25% to 27% and SBA-15GA gave near 10% of drug release in all fluids during 72.5 h. The Korsmeyer–Peppas model better fits the release data with the Fickian diffusion mechanism and zero order kinetics for synthesized mesoporous silicas. Both pore sizes and hydrophobicity influenced the rate of the release process, indicating that the chemically modified silica can be suggested to design formulation of slow and constant release over a defined period, to avoid repeated administration.

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