Electrospray Fabrication of pH-Responsive Microspheres for the Delivery of Ozoile

Microspheres (MS) made from biocompatible natural polymers with pH-responsive properties, such as alginate and chitosan, are widely exploited as drug delivery systems. In this work, pH-responsive MS based on alginate/chitosan hydrogels were developed and applied as carriers of Ozoile, a stable ozonide. Ozoile is a bioactive formulation obtained by ozonation of biological olive oil, which is capable of inducing the expression of different genes that are involved in the process of tissue regeneration. The MS containing Ozoile were prepared using an electrospray (ES) technique from alginate/Ozoile emulsions. The MS were optimised with a chitosan coating to improve their stability and degradation behaviour, and so to control the release of Ozoile in time. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, swelling and degradation analyses were conducted and results used to assess the potential use of the alginate-based MS for the therapeutic release of Ozoile at specific inflammatory sites.