Multiparticulate Colon Targeted Drug Delivery System for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

After lung cancer and breast cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer and has the second-highest fatality rate. The main objective was to develop and optimize a multiparticulate system of 5-fluorouracil and Curcumin through Box-Behnken design (BBD) and desirability function and coating of the optimized batch for increased therapeutic efficacy and targeting for the treatment of colorectal cancer. For that, the goal of the current study was coated with Eudragit S100 and aimed to treat colorectal cancer in the distal intestine release as well as increase the solubility of curcumin in the colon environment, sustain the drug release, and protect the drug from abrupt degradation in the colon environment. All of these alterations can enhance the colon tissue levels, especially in the colon cancer cells in the patients, and thereby can enhance the utility of the therapy. It is essential to understand the factors and quality aspects involved in the formulation of a multiparticulate system through optimization. The ionotropic gel method was used to create an optimized batch, with selected independent factors and the response variables of 5-fluorouracil and Curcumin loaded microparticle. The relationship between the independent and dependent variables was examined by utilizing the contour, response surface designs, mathematical calculations, and desirability function produced by Design Expert. Eudragit S100 was enteric coated on Calcium alginate beads with an improved core. The ionotropic gelation process was used to create an optimized batch, and the generated microparticles of 5-fluorouracil had a 674 µm particle size and a 90.81% drug entrapment efficiency. The observed answers were very similar with a bias of less than 5% when compared to the expected value and desirability function. A second layer of Eudragit S100 was applied to the improved formulation. The coated microbeads released pH 1.2 at a rate of less than 10%. After 10 hours, more than 55.12% of the drug was released into the