¹Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency, Ankara, Turkey
²Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Yenimahalle 06560 Ankara, Turkey
³Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Yenimahalle 06560 Ankara, Turkey DOI : 10.29228/jrp.210 The aim of this work was to develop levofloxacin-loaded drug delivery systems for pulmonary administration. Levofloxacin-loaded PLGA microparticles were prepared by water-in-oil-in-oil (w/o/o) emulsion solvent evaporation method using PLGA as the polymer. Then, the effect of surfactant type and concentration in the inner aqueous phase or outer oily phase on the physicochemical characteristics of the microparticles were investigated. PLGA-based microparticles have spherical shape with a particle size of about 5 μm, which is suitable for pulmonary delivery. Very high values for encapsulation efficiency (up to 90%) were obtained. The in vitro release of levofloxacin from the PLGA microparticles was sustained for 24 hours. The aerodynamic diameter and fine particle fraction were 5.44 ± 0.19 μm and 50.99 ± 2.89%, respectively. Antimicrobial efficacy studies showed that levofloxacin-loaded PLGA microparticles inhibited bacterial growth. These results suggest that levofloxacin-loaded PLGA microparticles may be suitable for pulmonary administration. Keywords : Levofloxacin; drug delivery systems; w/o/o; surfactant type; PLGA; pulmonary delivery