Diltiazem-loaded Eudragit RS 100 microparticles for drug delivery: the challenge of viscosity

Abstract

Strongly shape-dependent viscosity has been found in drug loaded and `empty` polymeric microspheres (drug delivery systems) made of pharmacopoeial Eudragit RS 100 representative. The dramatically increased viscosity of a layer of spherical particles deposited on the gold electrode surface of quartz resonators from water suspension leads to a large dynamic resistance and inability to sustain stable oscillations in a frequency measuring circuit. The viscosity is also affected by loading the polymer matrix with Diltiazem. Its adverse impact is removed by exposing the deposed layer to acetone vapor leading to `dissolving` the investigated spheres and changing their shape to a thin layered one.