Abstract
Author(s): G. Rama Krishna, K. Neelima,D.Srinivasa Rao andS.Ramu
Aimof thepresentworkwastoformulateandevaluateanoralpulsatile drug delivery system to achieve time release of flurbiprofen, based on Chronopharmaceuticalapproachfor thetreatmentof antiinflammatory agent.Pulsatiledelivery systemiscapableof delivering drugwhenandwhereitrequiredmost.Time-delayedtablets,designedto releasedrugafterapredictablelagtime, areintended fororal chronotherapy.Thebasicdesignconsistsofacoretabletspreparedby wetgranulationmethod. Thetabletswerecoatedwithaninnerswellablelayercontaining karaya gum and sodium alginate.Theentire devicewasentericcoatedwith3% celluloseacetatephthalatesolution,sothatthevariabilityingastricemptyingtimecanbe overcome.Thepreparedpulsatiletabletswereevaluatedforthedrug content,thickness and in-vitro releaseprofile, etc. In-vitroreleaseprofilesofpulsatiledeviceduring sixhoursstudieswerefoundto havevery goodsustainingefficacy.During thefirstfivehoursitshowsminimumdrug releaseandattheendofsixhoursimmediatereleasewasobserved.Increasingthelevel of therupturablelayer increasedmechanicalstrengthandretardedthewater uptake and thus prolonged the lag time. Stability studiesprovedthat coatingof tabletsseemstodecrease theeffectof temperature andmoisture onthe degradation of flurbiprofen.Theprogrammablepulsatilereleasehasbeenachievedfromtabletovera 7-8 hr period, consistent with thedemands ofchronotherapeuticdrugdelivery