Fabrication of hesperidin self-micro-emulsifying nutraceutical delivery system embedded in sodium alginate beads to elicit gastric stability

Poor bioavailability of hesperidin (HES) due to its gastric instability and low aqueous solubility limits its clinical application. The objective of presented work was to incorporate self-microemulsifying drug delivery system of HES (SMEDDS-HES) into alginate beads. The alginate beads were characterized for their size and morphology by using motic microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The selected beads formulation (BF 7) revealed particle size (1.3 ± 0.117 mm), entrapment efficiency (87.4 ± 2.2%), circularity (0.9987), aspect ratio (0.9950), and swelling index (81.75 ± 2.14%). The encapsulation of HES in beads was assured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study. The in vitro drug release kinetic of beads was performed in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). The results revealed negligible release of HES (3.52 ± 0.8%) from beads in SGF after 2 h, and in SIF (after 8 h), the beads showed burst release (72.52 ± 3.5%) of HES. Antidiabetic and histopathological studies on experimental rat revealed promising hypoglycemic activity of beads which sought for its ability to protect HES in the stomach. The shelf life of optimized bead formulation was estimated 1079 days suggesting excellent stability of HES after encapsulation. Finally, developed beads formulation was considered a promising approach in oral delivery of HES.