Synthesis and assessment of CTAB and NPE modified organo-montmorillonite for the fabrication of organo-montmorillonite/alginate based hydrophobic pharmaceutical controlled-release formulation.

The research goal of the present study was to develop a carrier for loading and controlled -release of the hydrophobic drug with the combined use of organo-montmorillonite (OMMT) and alginate. The OMMT was synthesized through the intercalation modification of sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) with cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), nonionic nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether (NPE) and the mixture of them via simple and convenient wet ball-milling method. Furthermore, the organo-montmorillonite/alginate (OMMT/Alg) composite hydrogel beads with slow and controlled release properties were constructed by using alginate as a coating material under the exogenous cross-linking of calcium ions.

Entrapment of bacterial cellulose nanocrystals stabilized Pickering emulsions droplets in alginate beads for hydrophobic drug delivery.

In this work, the interfacial assembly of amphiphilic bacterial cellulose nanocrystals (BCNs) by Pickering emulsion method was proposed to improve the compatibility between the alginate and hydrophobic drug. BCNs prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis of biosynthesized bacterial cellulose was used as the particulate emulsifiers, whereas the model drug, alfacalcidol, dissolved in CHCl was used as the oil phase. The oil-in-water Pickering emulsions were prepared by ultrasonic dispersion method and then they were well dispersed in alginate solution.