The incorporation and release of bovine serum albumin from poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate) microspheres

Spherical microporous matrix type microspheres composed of 330 kD P(HB-HV) (10.8% HV) 20%PCL II containing a range of %BSA loadings have been fabricated using a single emulsion technique with solvent evaporation. Microspheres were generated in high yield (>75%) and the percentage incorporation of BSA had no significant effect on microsphere size distribution, typically 6-50 mu m in diameter with a mean of 26.28 +/- 2.34 mu m, n = 25, for 20% BSA loaded microspheres. The loss of BSA both by partitioning into the aqueous continuous phase and through micropores generated during the precipitation of the fabrication polymer concomitant with solvent evaporation resulted in a low encapsulation efficiency (<15%). When the total cumulative release of BSA was expressed as a percentage of the actual total BSA incorporated, BSA release was only marginally influenced by the theoretical percentage loading suggesting that the amount and duration of BSA release in vitro was initially influenced as much by micropore number and diameter as by the extent of matrix BSA loading and detectable levels of BSA release could be monitored for up to 24 days.