Influence of the primary emulsification procedure on the characteristics of small protein-loaded PLGA microparticles for antigen delivery

Microparticles prepared from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) using a W₁/O/W₂ double emulsion solvent evaporation method are suitable vehicles for the delivery of proteins to antigen presenting cells, e.g. dendritic cells. In this study, the influence of different techniques for the preparation of the primary W₁/O emulsion was investigated with respect to the protein localization within the microparticles, morphological characteristics of these particles, protein burst release and the native state of the released protein. Bovine serum albumin bearing fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-BSA) was used as model protein. A static micromixer was applied for the preparation of the W₁/O/W₂ double emulsion. Employing a rotor-stator homogenizer (Ultra-Turrax®) for primary emulsification, microcapsules with a high burst release were produced, because nearly all FITC-BSA was attached to the outside of the particle wall. Using a high pressure homogenizer or an ultrasonic procedure resulted in the formation of microspheres with homogeneous protein distribution and a reduced burst release.