FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ETHYLCELLULOSE COATED MICROCAPSULES FOR CONTROLLED RELEASE OF PARACETAMOL

About author:
Navneet Kumar Verma*
Department of Pharmacy,
Rameshwaram Institute of Technology and Management Lucknow (U.P), India
*e-mail- navneet_its04@rediffmail.com

ABSTRACT:
The objective of the study is to evaluate ethylcellulose as a coat for controlled release microcapsules of paracetamol. Ethylcellulose coated microcapsules were prepared by an emulsion-solvent evaporation method employing different proportions of core and coat and the microcapsules were evaluated for size, entrapment efficiency and drug release kinetics. The ethylcellulose coated microcapsules prepared were found to be discrete, spherical, and free flowing. Drug content was uniform. Diclofenac release from the ethylcellulose coated microcapsules was slow and depended on core: coat ratio, wall thickness and size of the microcapsules. Drug release from these microcapsules was by non-fickian diffusion. Microcapsules prepared employing cyclohexane as solvent exhibited good release rates. Ethylcellulose was found to be an efficient microencapsulating agent and the ethylcellulose microcapsules exhibited good controlled release characteristics and were found suitable for oral controlled release of paracetamol.
Keywords: Microcapsules, Ethylcellulose, Paracetamol, Controlled Release