pH-sensitive controlled release in vitro and pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen from hybrid nanocomposite using amine-modified bimodal mesopores silica as core and poly(methylacrylic acid) as shell

Ibuprofen was encapsulated into pH-sensitive hybrid nanocomposite using amine-modified bimodal mesopores silica (BMMs) as core and poly(methylacrylic acid) (PMAA) as the shell. The various characterizations showed that PMAA-coated shell played a pH-dependent “open–close” switch, and BMMs as a stored drug carrier. The high drug loading and pH-responsive release performances in vitro could be successfully monitored by SAXS techniques, demonstrating the evolution of mass fractal with surface roughness and structural irregularities. The release mechanism was proposed, showing a “diffusion-controlled” profile in both acidic and alkaline medium. Finally, the pharmacokinetics of released-IBU in mice through intravenous injection was preliminarily explored.