Development of a Microencapsulated Medicinal Form of Vinpocetine for Administration by Inhalation

Abstract

A method for the microencapsulation of vinpocetine by solvent evaporation in polylactide (PLA) shells with different molecular weights using a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and dioctylsulfosuccinate sodium (Aerosol OT, AOT) at a mass ratio of 1:1 as stabilizer was developed. Microencapsulation efficiency was found to increase when PLA with higher molecular weight was used, though the process was essentially independent of the quantity used. Microcapsule dispersity was evaluated. The best samples were obtained using PLA with a molecular weight of 30,500 Da and a vinpocetine:PLA mass ratio of 1:10.