Boswellia gum resin/chitosan polymer composites: Controlled delivery vehicles for aceclofenac

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Boswellia gum resin on the properties of glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinked chitosan polymer composites and their potential as oral delivery vehicles for a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, aceclofenac. The incorporation of resinous material caused a significant improvement in drug entrapment efficiency (∼40%) of the polymer composites. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis confirmed the formation of chitosan-gum resin composites and did not show any evidence of drug-polymer chemical interaction. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) suggested the formation of particulate polymer composites up to chitosan:gum resin mass ratio of 1:3. Only 8-17% drug was released into HCl solution (pH 1.2) in 2h. The drug release rate of polymer composites was faster in phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8). The composites released ∼60-68% drug load in 7h. In same duration, the drug release rate suddenly boosted up to 92% as the concentration of gum resin in the composites was raised to 80%. The drug release mechanism deviated from non-Fickian to case-II type with increasing resin concentration in the composites. Hence, GA-treated Boswellia resin-chitosan composites could be considered as alternative vehicles for oral delivery of aceclofenac.