Preparation and study of release kinetics of rosin pentaerythritol ester microcapsules

Rosin was esterified with pentaerythritol and intermediate reaction products with different acid values were isolated. Microcapsules containing sulphadiazine were prepared by a solvent evaporation technique using these esters as wall materials. The microcapsules were evaluated for their size, drug content, and release characteristics in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. The microcapsule size increased as the acid value of the ester decreased. The release of the drug was studied by using first-order, Higuchi and Hixon-Crowell cube root models. The release mechanism of the microcapsules is discussed.