Abstract
The study was aimed at developing cellulose acetate asymmetric membrane capsules (AMCs) of acyclovir for its controlled delivery at the absorption site. The AMCs were prepared by phase inversion technique using wet process. A 23 full factorial design assessed the effect of independent variables (level(s) of polymer, pore former, and osmogen) on the cumulative drug release from AMCs. The buoyant optimized formulation F7 (low level of cellulose acetate; high levels of both glycerol and sodium lauryl sulphate) displayed maximum drug release of 97.88 ± 0.77% in 8 h that was independent of variation in agitational intensity and intentional defect on the cellulose acetate AMC. The in vitro data best fitted zero-order kinetics (r 2 = 0.9898). SEM micrograph of the transverse section confirmed the asymmetric nature of the cellulose acetate capsular membrane. Statistical analysis by Design Expert software indicated no interaction between the independent variables confirming the efficiency of the design in estimating the effects of variables on drug release. The optimized formulation F7 (desirability = 0.871) displayed sustenance of drug release over the drug packed in AMC in pure state proving the superiority of osmotically active formulation. Conclusively the AMCs have potential for controlled release of acyclovir at its absorption site.
Highlights
Asymmetric membrane capsule is a controlled drug delivery device which consists of a drug core surrounded by a membrane of asymmetric structure
The solubility is a prominent factor in governing the drug release from an osmotically controlled drug delivery system [19]
The calculated F-value (0.038) and t-value (0.5905) were found to be less than tabled F-value (4.60) and t-value (2.36). These results demonstrate that release kinetics from asymmetric membrane capsules (AMCs) was independent of defects in the membrane, a unique property of osmotic devices [30]
Summary
Asymmetric membrane capsule is a controlled drug delivery device which consists of a drug core surrounded by a membrane of asymmetric structure (relatively thin, dense region supported on a thicker, porous region). Similar to a conventional hard gelatin capsule, the asymmetric membrane capsule (AMC) consists of a cap and a body that snugly fit into each other. The use of asymmetric membranes as rate controlling membrane of drug delivery devices is being widely explored. The basic mechanism of drug release from asymmetric membrane capsule is osmosis. The hydrostatic pressure was generated within the core which acts as a driving force to deliver the drug through preexisting pores, after all components are depleted and asymmetric membrane coating remains intact [3]
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