Ethyl cellulose as a potential sustained release coating for oral pharmaceuticals

This current study was motivated, and designed in an attempt to determine the possible application of the inert, pH-insensitive, ethyl cellulose polymer as a potential sustained-release coating for oral pharmaceuticals. Coating was effected using two relatively recent techniques, namely microencapsulation by phase separation coacervation, induced by temperature change, and drug entrapment by flocculation, induced by nonsolbent addition. Chloramphenicol was used as a model drug. Results of this study revealed the fact that ethyl cellulose proved to be a potential sustained-release coating for oral dosage forms. Moreover, the effect of the coating/core ratio was exhibited both qualitatively and quantitatively. This finding could help in the design of programmed or timed-release drugs. Accordingly, this study could be considered a successful attempt towards the utlization of ethyl cellulose in of the design of sustained-release oral pharmaceuticals.