Preparation and in vitro Characterization of Gelatin Microspheres Containing 5-fluorouracil

Gelatin microspheres containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were prepared by water/oil (W/O) emulsion and chemical cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. In order to obtain microspheres with an appropriate drug release profile, the effects of cross-linking time and amount of cross-linking agent on the swelling properties of microspheres and their release profile were investigated. Gelatin microspheres prepared with a larger amount of cross-linking agent, or after longer cross-linking time, showed a reduced swelling ratio in aqueous media. The in vitro release pattern of 5-FU from gelatin microspheres showed a biphasic profile and the release rates were reduced upon increasing the amount of cross-liking agent and prolonging the cross-linking time.