Abstract:

To design an accelerated method to evaluate thymopentin release from PLGA microspheres in vitro. Microspheres were prepared by double emulsion technique, using poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) as carrier. At higher medium temperature (45 °C, 50 °C and 55 °C), an accelerated release testing in short time was studied and correlated with the conventional release (37 °C) in vitro. The release in vitro of thymopentin from PLGA microspheres at 45 °C, 50 °C and 55 °C was significantly accelerated (P < 0.05). In particular, at 50 °C, an accelerated release (30 h) of the hydrophilic peptide from the PLGA matrix was achieved and correlated well with the conventional release (30 d). An accelerated release testing in vitro at higher temperature could be used to monitor thymopentin release from PLGA microspheres.

Key words: Thymopentin, Thymopentin, PLGA microspheres, PLGA microspheres, Accelerated release in vitro, Accelerated release in vitro, Glass transition temperature, Glass transition temperature