Biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate-based microspheres for targeted drug delivery of cefuroxime axetil and propolis

Abstract

Modern society faces serious environmental issues due to the use of synthetic polymers made from petroleum that do not degrade easily. Other degradable polymers, such as polylactic acid, can cause problems in the human body, including swelling. This has led to a growing focus on creating biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). This research aims to use PHAs as a biodegradable microsphere matrix for incorporated medicines such as cefuroxime axetil and propolis, thereby producing drug-loaded microspheres. Using the single-emulsion solvent evaporation technique, PHA microspheres were obtained. FTIR analysis of the extracted PHA, unloaded PHA microspheres (UMs), and drug-loaded microspheres (DLMs) showed no significant chemical changes, confirming the polymer's integrity, with the distinctive PHA peak remaining at 1728.22 cm⁻¹. The SEM test showed successful synthesis of uniform and well-defined spherical particles with an average diameter of approximately 1 μm. The antibacterial activity results showed that cefuroxime axetil had high immediate inhibition, DLMs had lower but effective inhibition, and PHA alone had no antibacterial effect. The zeta potential test of the DLMs yielded a value of -49.5 mV, indicating excellent colloidal stability. The cytotoxicity results for DLMs showed their potential use as targeted anticancer agents against lung cancer cells (A549), with less effect on healthy tissue (human dermal fibroblasts).