Pharmacokinetics of Quercetin-Loaded Methoxy Poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lactic acid) Micelle after Oral Administration in Rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of micelle to change the pharmacokinetics of quercetin (QUT), with a primary goal of enhancing its oral bioavailability. QUT-loaded methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lactic acid) micelle (QUT-loaded MPEG-b-PLLA micelle) was prepared by a thin-film hydration method, resulting in a particle size of 88.5 nm. A liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for determination of QUT in rat plasma. The chromatographic separation was performed on an Agilent Eclipse-C18 (4.6 mm × 50 mm, 3.5 μm) with an isocratic mobile phase system consisting of water and methanol (30:70, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Calibration curves were linear over the concentration ranges of 2.5–2000 ng/mL for QUT. The micelle was orally administered at a single does in rats, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated and compared with that administered with the QUT aqueous suspension. The results show that the micelle was able to increase the QUT’s oral bioavailability 9-fold compared to the QUT aqueous suspension. These results suggest that methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lactic acid) is a potential carrier for the oral delivery of QUT.