Preparation and In vitro Investigation of Chitosan Compressed Tablets for Colon Targeting

The aim of the present study was minimizing the drug release in upper gastro intestinal tract and targeting to colon by using the principles of compression coat.

Compression coated tablets of Ibuprofen were prepared by direct compression method using chitosan (300, 250, 200 & 175 mg). Tablets were evaluated for their physicochemical properties and in vitro drug release studies. In vitro drug release studies were performed with and without rat caecal contents.

In the rat caecal contents tablets showed enhanced drug release due to degradation of chitosan coat by colonic colonic enzymes. The in vitro release studies in pH-6.8 phosphate buffer containing 2% w/v of rat caecal contents showed the cumulative percentage release of Ibuprofen after 26h as 31.94% ±0.59, 67.89% ± 0.45 and 55.87 % ± 0.45 and 82.52 % ± 0.92 respectively. Coat thickness and amount of chitosan controls the release rate. Formulations are best fitted with Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetics and mechanism of drug release was non-Fickian. FTIR studies reveals there is no drug-polysaccharide interaction. F1 formulation was a promising system for drug targeting to colon.

Based on the obtained results chitosan as a press coat could target ibuprofen to the colon.