Volume 5, Issue 2, November – December 2010; Article-012 ISSN 0976 – 044X

Review Article

A REVIEW ON MICROENCAPSULATION

[Link]*, [Link] Madhu, [Link], David Banji.

Department of Pharmaceutics, Nalanda College of Pharmacy, Nalgonda.
*Corresponding author’s E-mail: shekharkandi@[Link]

Received on: 22-09-2010; Finalized on: 29-11-2010.

ABSTRACT
The review of Microencapsulation is about the preparation, properties and uses of microcapsules in various fields like industrial,
engineering, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and research applications. Its scope extends beyond conventional microcapsules to all
other small particulate systems such as self assembling structures that involve preparative manipulation. In this review an overview
on encapsulation materials, mechanism of release through the capsule wall and / or desorption from carrier, techniques of
preparation, many uses to which microcapsules are included.
Keywords: Microencapsulation, microcapsules, self assembling structures.

INTRODUCTION Microencapsulation provides the means of converting

liquids to solids, of altering colloidal and surface
Microencapsulation is the process of enclosing a
properties, of providing environmental protection and of
substance inside a miniature capsule. Extremely tiny
controlling the release characteristics or availability of
droplets, or particles of liquid or solid material, are
coated materials. Several of these properties can be
packed within a second material or coated with a
attained by macropackaging techniques; however, the
continuous film of polymeric material for the purpose of
uniqueness of microencapsulation is the smallness of the
shielding the active ingredient from the surrounding
coated particles and their subsequent use and adaptation
environment. These capsules, which range in size from
to a wide variety of dosage forms and not has been
one micron to seven millimetres, release their contents at
technically feasible2.
a later time by means appropriate to the application. The
ingredients to be coated are referred to as core, internal Reasons for Microencapsulation
phase (IP), encapsulate or fill, whereas terms applied to
 The primary reason for microencapsulation is found
the coating of the microcapsules include the wall, shell,
to be either for sustained or prolonged drug release.
external phase or membrane. All three states ie. solid,
liquid and gases, may be encapsulated and affect the size  This technique has been widely used for masking
and shape of the capsules. If a solid or a crystalline taste and odour of many drugs to improve patient
material is used as the core, the resultant capsule may be compliance.
irregularly shaped. However, if the core material is a
liquid, simple spherical capsules, containing a single  This technique can be used for converting liquid
droplet of encapsulate, may be formed. The capsulated drugs in a free flowing powder.
particles produce their required effect when their core  The drugs, which are sensitive to oxygen, moisture
material is released. There are four typical mechanisms by or light, can be stabilized by microencapsulation.
which the core material is released from a microcapsule:
 Incompatibility among the drugs can be prevented
Mechanical rupture of the capsule wall by microencapsulation.
Dissolution of the wall  Vaporization of many volatile drugs e.g. methyl
Melting of the wall salicylate and peppermint oil can be prevented by
microencapsulation.
Diffusion through the wall.
 Many drugs have been microencapsulated to reduce
Microencapsulation is a process by which very tiny toxicity and GI irritation including ferrous sulphate
droplets or particles of liquid or solid material are and KCl.
surrounded or coated with a continuous film of polymeric
material. Microencapsulation includes Bioencapsulation  Alteration in site of absorption can also be achieved
which is more restricted to the entrapment of a by microencapsulation.
biologically active substance (from DNA to entire cell or  Toxic chemicals such as insecticides may be
group of cells for example) generally to improve its microencapsulated to reduce the possibility of
1
performance & or enhance its shelf life . sensitization of factorial person.

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Volume 5, Issue 2, November – December 2010; Article-012 ISSN 0976 – 044X

 Bakan and Anderson reported that Examples of coating materials:

microencapsulated vitamin A palmitate had
Water soluble resins- Gelatin, Gum Arabic, Starch,
enhanced stability.3
Polyvinylpyrrolidone, Carboxymethyl-cellulose,
Core Materials Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylcellulose, Arabinogalactan,
Polyvinyl alcohol, Polyacrylic acid.
The core material, defined as the specific material to be
coated, can be liquid or solid in nature. The composition Water insoluble resins – Ethylcellulose, Polyethylene,
of the core material can be varied, as the liquid core can Polymethacrylate, Polyamide (Nylon), Poly (Ethylene-
include dispersed and/or dissolved materials. The solid Vinyl acetate), Cellulose nitrate, Silicones, Poly(lactideco-
core can be active constituents, stabilizers, diluents, glycolide).
excipients, and release-rate retardants or accelerators.
Waxes and lipids – Paraffin, Carnauba, Spermaceti,
The ability to vary the core material composition provides
Beeswax, Stearic acid, Stearyl alcohol, Glyceryl stearates .
definite flexibility and utilization of this characteristics
often allows effectual design and development of the Enteric resins – Shellac, Cellulose acetate phthalate, Zein.
desired microcapsule properties.
Techniques to Manufacture Microcapsules
Coating Materials
Physical methods
The coating material should be capable of forming a film
Air-suspension coating 4
that is cohesive with the core material be chemically
compatible and nonreactive with the core material and Air-suspension coating of particles by solutions or melts
provide the desired coating properties, such as strength, gives better control and flexibility. The particles are
flexibility, impermeability, optical properties, and coated while suspended in an upward-moving air stream.
stability. The coating materials used in They are supported by a perforated plate having different
microencapsulation methods are enable to some extent, patterns of holes inside and outside a cylindrical insert.
to insitu modification. The selection of a given coating Just sufficient air is permitted to rise through the outer
often can be aided by the review of existing literature and annular space to fluidize the settling particles. Most of the
by the study of free or cast films, although practical use of rising air (usually heated) flows inside the cylinder,
free-film information often is impeded for the following causing the particles to rise rapidly. At the top, as the air
reasons: stream diverges and slows, they settle back onto the
outer bed and move downward to repeat the cycle. The
 Cast or free films prepared by the usual casting particles pass through the inner cylinder many times in a
techniques yield films that are considerably thicker few minutes methods.
than those produced by the microencapsulation of
small particles; hence, the results obtained from the The air suspension process offers a wide variety of
cast films may not be extrapolate to the thin coating materials candidates for microencapsulation. The
microcapsule coatings. process has the capability of applying coatings in the form
of solvent solutions, aqueous solution, emulsions,
 The particular microencapsulation method dispersions or hot melts in equipment ranging in
employed for the deposition of a given coating capacities from one pound to 990 pounds. Core materials
produces specific and inherent properties that are comprised of micron or submicron particles can be
difficult to simulate with existing film-casting effectively encapsulated by air suspension techniques,
methods. but agglomeration of the particles to some larger size is
 The coating substrate of core material may have a normally achieved.
decisive effect on coating properties. Hence, the Coacervation Process
selection of a particular coating material involves
consideration of both classic free-film data and The core material will be added to the solution. The core
applied results. material should not react or dissolve in water
(maximumsolubility 2%). The core material is dispersed in
Coating Material Properties the solution. The particle size will be defined by
 Stabilization of core material. dispersion parameter, as stirring speed, stirrer shape,
surface tension and viscosity. Size range 2µm - 1200µm.
 Inert toward active ingredients. Coacervation starts with a change of the pH value of the
 Controlled release under specific conditions. dispersion, e.g. by adding H2SO4, HCl or organic acids. The
result is a reduction of the solubility of the dispersed
 Film-forming, pliable, tasteless, stable. phases (shell material).
 Non-hygroscopic, no high viscosity, economical. • The shell material (coacervate) starts to precipitate
from the solution.
 Soluble in an aqueous media or solvent, or melting.
• The shell material forms a continuous coating around
 The coating can be flexible, brittle, hard, thin etc.
the core droplets.
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Volume 5, Issue 2, November – December 2010; Article-012 ISSN 0976 – 044X

• The shell material is cooled down to harden and forms Spray drying and spray congealing processes are similar in
the final capsule. that both involve dispersing the core material in a
liquefied coating substance and spraying or introducing
Coacervation-Phase Separation 5, 6
the core-coating mixture into some environmental
The general outline of the processes consists of three condition, whereby, relatively rapid solidification (and
steps carried out under continuous agitation: A liquid formation) of the coating is affected. The principal
manufacturing vehicle phase, a core material phase, and a difference between the two methods is the means by
coating material phase. To form the three phases, the which coating solidification is accomplished. Coating
core material dispersed in a solution of the coating solidification in the case of spray drying is effected by
polymer, the solvent for the polymer being the liquid rapid evaporation of a solvent in which the coating
manufacturing vehicle phase. Deposition if the liquid material is dissolved. Coating solidification in spray
polymer coating around the core material occurs if the congealing methods, however, is accomplished by
polymer is adsorbed at the interface formed between the thermally congealing a molten coating material or by
core material and the liquid vehicle phase, and this solidifying a dissolved coating by introducing the coating -
adsorption phenomenon is a prerequisite to effective core material mixture into a nonsolvent. Removal of the
coatings, rigidizing the coating, usually by thermal, cross- nonsolvent or solvent from the coated product is then
linking, or desolvation techniques, to form a self- accomplished by sorption, extraction, or evaporation
sustaining microcapsules. techniques.
7
Centrifugal extrusion Chemical process
Liquids are encapsulated using a rotating extrusion head Solvent Evaporation 12
containing concentric nozzles. In this process, a jet of core
This technique has been used by companies including the
liquid is surrounded by a sheath of wall solution or melt.
NCR Company, Gavaert Photo - Production NV, and Fuji
As the jet moves through the air it breaks, owing to
Photo Film Co., Ltd. to produce microcapsules. The
Rayleigh instability, into droplets of core, each coated
processes are carried out in a liquid manufacturing
with the wall solution. While the droplets are in flight, a
vehicle. The microcapsule coating is dissolved in a volatile
molten wall may be hardened or a solvent may be
solvent, which is immiscible with the liquid manufacturing
evaporated from the wall solution. Since most of the
vehicle phase. A core material to be microencapsulated is
droplets are within ± 10% of the mean diameter, they
dissolved or dispersed in the coating polymer solution.
land in a narrow ring around the spray nozzle. Hence, if
With agitation, the core coating material mixture is
needed, the capsules can be hardened after formation by
dispersed in the liquid manufacturing vehicle phase to
catching them in a ring-shaped hardening bath.
obtain the appropriate size microcapsule. The mixture is
Pan coating 8 then heated (if necessary) to evaporate the solvent for
the polymer. In the case in which the core material is
The pan coating process, widely used in the
dispersed in the polymer solution, polymer shrinks
pharmaceutical industry, is among the oldest industrial
around the core. In the case in which core material is
procedures for forming small, coated particles or tablets.
dissolved in the coating polymer solution, a matrix - type
The particles are tumbled in a pan or other device while
microcapsule is formed. Once all the solvent for the
the coating material is applied slowly. The pan coating
polymer is evaporated, the liquid vehicle temperature is
process, widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, is
reduced to ambient temperature (if required) with
among the oldest industrial procedures for forming small,
continued agitation. At this stage, the microcapsules can
coated particles or tablets. The particles are tumbled in a
be used in suspension form, coated on to substrates or
pan or other device while the coating material is applied
isolated as powders. The solvent evaporation technique
slowly with respect to microencapsulation, solid particles
to produce microcapsules is applicable to a wide variety
greater than 600 microns in size are generally considered
of liquid and solid core materials. The core materials may
essential for effective coating, and the process has been
be either water - soluble or water - insoluble materials. A
extensively employed for the preparation of controlled -
variety of film - forming polymers can be used as coatings.
release beads.
9, 10, 11 Polymerization
Spray–drying
Interfacial polymer 13
Spray drying serves as a microencapsulation technique
when an active material is dissolved or suspended in a In Interfacial polymerization, the two reactants in a
melt or polymer solution and becomes trapped in the polycondensation meet at an interface and react rapidly.
dried particle. The main advantages is the ability to The basis of this method is the classical Schotten
handle labile materials because of the short contact time Baumann reaction between an acid chloride and a
in the dryer, in addition, the operation is economical. In compound containing an active hydrogen atom, such as
modern spray dryers the viscosity of the solutions to be an amine or alcohol, polyesters, polyurea, polyurethane.
sprayed can be as high as 300mPa.s Under the right conditions, thin flexible walls form rapidly
at the interface. A solution of the pesticide and a diacid

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Volume 5, Issue 2, November – December 2010; Article-012 ISSN 0976 – 044X

chloride are emulsified in water and an aqueous solution High solvent removal rate.
containing an amine and a polyfunctional isocyanate is ↓
added. Base is present to neutralize the acid formed Fast solidification of microparticles.
during the reaction. Condensed polymer walls form ↓
instantaneously at the interface of the emulsion droplets. High encapsulation efficiency.
In-situ polymerization
In a few microencapsulation processes, the direct Release Mechanisms
polymerization of a single monomer is carried out on the
Mechanisms of drug release from microcapsules are
particle surface. In one process, e.g. Cellulose fibers are
encapsulated in polyethylene while immersed in dry Degradation controlled monolithic system
toluene. Usual deposition rates are about 0.5µm/min.
The drug is dissolved in matrix and is distributed
Coating thickness ranges 0.2-75µm. The coating is
uniformly throughout. The drug is strongly attached to
uniform, even over sharp projections.
the matrix and is released on degradation of the matrix.
Matrix polymer The diffusion of the drug is slow as compared with
degradation of the matrix.
In a number of processes, a core material is imbedded in
a polymeric matrix during formation of the particles. A Diffusion controlled monolithic system
simple method of this type is spray-drying, in which the
Here the active agent is released by diffusion prior to or
particle is formed by evaporation of the solvent from the
concurrent with the degradation of the polymer matrix.
matrix material. However, the solidification of the matrix
Rate of release also depend upon where the polymer
also can be caused by a chemical change. Using this
degrades by homogeneous or heterogeneous mechanism.
phenomenon, Chang prepares microcapsules containing
protein solutions by incorporating the protein in the Diffusion controlled reservoir system
aqueous diamine phase. Chang has demonstrated the
Here the active agent is encapsulated by a rate controlling
permselectivity, by their ability to convert blood urea to
membrane through which the agent diffuses and the
ammonia, the enzyme remaining within the
membrane erodes only after its delivery is completed. In
microcapsules when incorporated within an
this case, drug release is unaffected by the degradation of
extracorporeal shunt system. Numerous groups are
the matrix.
utilizing polymerization techniques to accomplish
microencapsulation. Examples are the National Lead Erosion
Corporation, Eurand America.
Erosion of the coat due to pH and enzymatic hydrolysis
Factors Influencing Encapsulation Efficiency causes drug release with certain coat material like glyceryl
mono stearate, beeswax and stearyl alcohol etc.
The encapsulation efficiency of the microparticle or
microcapsule or microsphere will be affected by different Applications of Microencapsulation 14, 15
parameters
Some of the applications of microencapsulation can be
High solubility of the polymer in organic solvent. described in detail as given below:
Low solubility of organic solvent in water. 1. Prolonged release dosage forms. The
microencapsulated drug can be administered, as
Low concentration of polymer.
microencapsulation is perhaps most useful for the
High DP/CP ratio. preparation of tablets, capsules or parenteral
dosage forms.

Low solvent removal rate. 2. Microencapsulation can be used to prepare enteric-

↓ coated dosage forms, so that the medicament will
be selectively absorbed in the intestine rather than
Slow solidification of microparticles.
the stomach.
↓
Low encapsulation efficiency. 3. It can be used to mask the taste of bitter drugs.
4. From the mechanical point of view,
microencapsulation has been used to aid in the
Low solubility of the polymer in organic solvent. addition of oily medicines to tabletted dosage
solubility of organic solvent in water. forms. This has been used to overcome problems
inherent in producing tablets from otherwise tacky
High concentration of polymer. granulations. This was accomplished through
Low DP/CP ratio. improved flow properties. For example, the non-
flowable multicomponent solid mixture of niacin,
riboflavin, and thiamine hydrochloride and iron
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Volume 5, Issue 2, November – December 2010; Article-012 ISSN 0976 – 044X

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