PORE SIZE EFFECT AND MORPHOLOGY OF MESOPOROUS SILICA ON METOPROLOL TARTRATE RELEASE

Abstract

Purpose. Study pore size effect and morphology of mesoporous silica on metoprolol tartrate release.

Methodology. A sample of hollow mesoporous silicon dioxide with amino-functional groups containing 12.7 wt. % metoprolol tartrate has been investigated as potential carriers for the controlled release of active substance. Studies of the release profiles of metoprolol tartrate were performed under the following conditions: dissolution medium was buffer solution with a pH of 7.4 (phosphate buffer); sampling time: from 0.5 h before 18 h. The metoprolol concentration in the liquid phase was evaluated by a UV-Vis spectrophotometer (Persee TU-190, Beijing, China) by use of quartz cuvettes with an optical path length of 1 cm at a maximum wavelength of 274 nm.

Findings. In this work we have studied mesoporous silica as possible carrier to controlled release of metoprolol tartrate, a drug used in the treatment of some diseases of the cardiovascular system. The material for research was a sample of hollow mesoporous silicon dioxide with amino-functional groups 200–400 nm in size and 20–30 nm in shell thickness. A calibrated curve to determine the amount of metoprolol was constructed by determining the absorption dependence of the concentration of metoprolol in the range from 10 to 300 ppm. The same drug concentration was obtained as calculated from the drug release test formula, which concludes that the release of metoprolol is controlled.

Originality. The controlled release of a sample of hollow spheres of mesoporous silicon dioxide filled with metoprolol tartrate was studied, which was synthesized by the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology, using a new technology, where hollow spheres of mesoporous silicon dioxide with amino groups were synthesized using CO₂ gas bubbles as templates.

Practical value. The metoprolol release amount could achieve a 50% release amounts within 1 hour and 90% within 5 hours, indicating that the synthesized mesoporous hollow sphere could achieve controlled drug release, and shows the potential of carriers with stimulus response and targeted therapy.