In vitro study of astaxanthin loaded with poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticle / Nurdalila Mohd Ali

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) are biodegradable polymer widely used in pharmaceutical industries as part of a formulation. The polymers are made up of two monomers, lactic acid and glycolic acid. Researchers often used PLGA to enhance drug absorption and to make it as sustained release products. PLGA can also be used as carrier to various types of drugs. This is also applicable to lipophilic substances such as astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is a natural antioxidant found in freshwater unicellular algae, Haematococcus Pluvialis. It is said to be the most powerful antioxidant leaving behind other types of antioxidant like vitamin c and bera carotene. However, Astaxanthin may encounter problem with poor absorption in the body. Therefore, this study aims on improving the absorption of the drug by incorporating it with PLGA nanoparticles. To prove the effectiveness of the formulation, dissolution test was carried out by using the dialysis bag technique. After 216 hours, drug release profile was identified and compared with other two formulations, Biolife astaxanthin and pure powder astaxanthin. Study revealed that the rate of drug release was low in all three formulations which suggest future investigation and experiment need to be done to establish a greater degree of validity of data on this matter.