Resumen de Desenvolupament i recerca de formulacions per a vacunes veterinàries
ABSTRACT Introduction: This thesis is the result of a collaboration between Universitat de Barcelona and a private company called Laboratoris Hipra, S.A.
Veterinary companies suffer serious economic losses because of diseases such as swine fever. In order to prevent and treat them, veterinary industry makes use of vaccines, for example, in emulsion form. The development of emulsions is not an easy task because emulsions may present stability problems and incompatibility with the antigens selected therefor.
Aim: To obtain stable and robust emulsions, which are compatible with the selected antigens. On the one hand, the first specific aim is to replace the natural thickener thickener A present in a commercial o/w emulsion, to avoid viscosity variability depending on thickener batches. On the other hand, the second specific aim is to replace the oil phase present in a commercial w/o vaccine of an unknown composition by a new oil phase.
Experimental methods: Since emulsions are multifactorial systems, all the trials were planned using experimental design methodology.
Results and discussion: Regarding the o/w emulsion aim, the substitution of Thickener A by other thickeners was unsuccessfully tested. After many different tests, a stable emulsion comprising Thickener D' and Thickener F as thickeners was obtained. However, this formulation presented variability depending on the batch of Espessant F. This problem was solved by a previous activation of Thickener F. Finally, the definitive formulation with activated Thickener F passed correctly the toxicity test and stability test up to 12 months.
Secondly, to develop a w/o emulsion with low viscosity and stable more than 24 hours was a though process. But finally, as a result of many trials combining different oils and surfactants, a formulation comprising ethyl oleate, Span® 80 and Kolliphor® ELP showed positive results regarding stability and viscosity up to 6 months.
Conclusions: Two new emulsions were developed suitable to replace commercial vaccines keeping substantially their initial features such as viscosity, stability and toxicity.
