Abstract

EFFECT OF CALCIUM TARTARATE AND SODIUM BICARBONATE AS INTERNAL GELLING AGENT ON ENTRAPMENT OF METRONIDAZOLE IN CALCIUM PECTINATE BEADS

Atmaram P. Pawar*, Prabakaran V., Anil. R. Gadhe and Amurta Marathe

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Abstract

Ionotropic gelation, a characteristic property of polysaccharides has become one of the easy and simple ways of encapsulating variety of drugs, enzymes, and proteins. The conventionally cross-linked polysaccharide beads have difficulty for entrapment of water soluble and low molecular weight drugs. For the internally crosslinked beads were prepared with calcium tartrate and sodium bicarbonate was dispersed in drug-pectin solution, then the beads prepared using calcium chloride as surface crosslinking agent. The purpose of present work was to study the effect of internal gelling agents in the entrapment efficiency of Metronidazole in calcium pectinate beads, which is the low molecular weight and water-soluble drug. The beads containing drug and/or calcium tartrate / sodium bicarbonate were prepared in 1% and 5% w/v calcium chloride solution. Particle size, swelling ratio, SEM, DSC, and In-vitro drug release were evaluated with the obtained beads. Beads containing sodium bicarbonate showed more entrapment than calcium tartrate. The calcium tartrate containing beads showed faster swelling rate and drug release.

Keywords: Internal crosslinking, calcium tartrate, calcium carbonate, entrapment.