The in vitro release
features of 5-Fluorouracil from tablets with chitosan, soy protein extract and chitosan-soyprotein
extract blend as carriers and their thermal degradation characteristics
Subramanian K., Harivignesh G. and Jeevitha A.
Res. J. Chem. Environ; Vol. 25(7); 104-113;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/257rjce10421; (2021)
Abstract
Natural polymers are finding widespread applications in drug delivery, scaffold
fabrication, bio plastic production, food packaging, wound dressing etc. due to
their availability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, renewable nature, ease of
modification to achieve the desirable properties etc. In the present study, the
commercially available soy protein extract (SPE), chitosan(CSN) and their physical
blend(CSN-SPE) have been chosen as drug carrier matrices to campare their in vitro
drug release features in simulated intestinal fluid for controlled release applications
taking 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as a typical drug. The percentages of 5-FU released
from the SPE, CSN and CSN-SPE tablets as a function of time were quantified by reverse
phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography using KH2PO4 solution (pH 6.8) as the
mobile phase and C-18 column as the stationery phase.
The observed drug release features were found to be different for these polymer
carriers. The percentages of drug released during the initial periods upto 60 min
were less in the CSN-SPE tablet than those observed for CSN and SPE tablets. This
implied that the drug release rate can be modified by the proper choice of natural
polymers in the blends as carriers. The thermal degradation characteristics of CSN,
SPE and CSN-SPE blend and their 5-FU tablets were also analysed by simultaneous
Thermogravimetry (TG) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA). Comparative analysis
of the TG and DTA traces of these polymers and their 5-FU tablets implied that there
may be a drug-matrix interaction. This along with different degrees of swellability
and degradability of these polymers might account for the differences in the drug
release features. The structures of CSN, SPE and CSN-SPE blend were characterized
by FT-IR spectroscopy.
