Preparation and structure characterization of poly(lactide-co-ethylene carbonate) microspheres

The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize tinidazole-loaded poly(lactide-co-ethylene carbonate) (PLEC) microspheres. These biodegradable microspheres were prepared by solvent evaporation method. The effect of selected emulsifier, polymer type, and ratio of tinidazole to PLEC were investigated. An aqueous gelatin solution used as emulsifier resulted in uniform microspheres with spherical surfaces. The PLEC microspheres exhibited rough surface and porous internal structures when compared with the PLA microspheres. The ratio of tinidazole to PLEC (1/10) exhibited higher encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of tinidazole. The introduction of hydrophilic PEC content influenced the structure and encapsulation efficiency of microspheres. These results suggest that the novel PLEC microspheres can be useful for drug delivery systems.