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The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Abstract

Background: The floating technique using alginate beads in a gastro-retentive drug deliverysystem is extensively investigated; preparation methods have an intense impact on the quality of the beads in terms of their buoyancy, entrapment efficiency (EE), and release profile. Objectives: This study compares between two well-known methods for the preparation of effervescent and oil-entrapped beads dried by lyophilization and air. Methods: Eight different formulations, F1-F4 and O1-O4, were prepared through the ionotropic gelation method, considering the inclusion of either sodium bicarbonate or castor oil at varying concentrations to be the sole difference in the alginate beads preparation. Results: The results indicated that incorporating oil as a floating agent in the bead formulation enhances the beads’ shape and floating properties. The oil also acts as a hydrophobic barrier, improving drug EE and contributing to a more sustained drug release. In addition, lyophilization (freeze-drying) of the effervescent beads resulted in highly porous structures, significantly affecting drug release. Although this method alone may lead to faster drug release, it could be promising when combined with other techniques to achieve a more prolonged release profile. Conclusion: Several processing factors play a dramatic role in the final quality and application of alginate beads; using low-density oil as well as freeze drying method were shown to be the most important of such factors in this study.

DOI

10.56808/3027-7922.3015

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