DEVOLEPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EFFERVESCENT PULSATILE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM CONTAINING PANTOPRAZOLE SODIUM FOR CHRONOTHERAPY OF PEPTIC ULCER

Jinshad K.* and Krishna Pillai M.

ABSTRACT

The objective of the present work is to conceptualize a specific technology, based on a blend of effervescent and pulsatile principles to develop drug delivery system, intended for chronotherapy of peptic ulcer. Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor prodrug used in the treatment of gastric ulcers and gastroesophageal disease. Pantoprazole must be absorbed in the gastro intestinal tract and because it is unstable under acidic conditions, enteric delivery systems are required. In the present study, effervescent calcium alginate beads were prepared by ionotropic gelation method. After the preformulation studies, the prepared beads were evaluated for drying time, crushing strength, particle size analysis, percentage yield, swelling studies, scanning electron microscopy, entrapment efficiency, drug content, in-vitro effervescent study, in-vitro drug release study and their values found in acceptable range. In-vitro release studies showed that the enteric coated beads are suitable for further pharmaceutical manipulation (eg: capsule filling). The beads provided a release pattern with initial lag time of six hours in acidic medium followed by rapid pulse release at pH 6.5 phosphate buffer. Hence, pulsatile release of pantoprazole by a simple drug delivery system could be useful in chronopharmacotherapy of peptic ulcer.

Keywords: Enteric coated effervescent drug delivery system, Chronotherapy, Pulsatile delivery, Microbeads, pantoprazole sodium.