Formulation and Evaluation of Pectin–Chitosan Composites Incorporated with Montmorillonite Clay for Oral Delivery of Sitagliptin

Abstract

Although pectin and chitosan are popular polymers in the field of drug delivery, their combination serves a vast gap of their unexplored properties and applications for the same. Oral drug route consists of the harsh environment of the alimentary canal where most of the drug carriers get degraded by the digestive enzymes present in the stomach causing early release of drug and thereby, lowering their bioavailability. The current work aims to establish a sustained release formulation of pectin–chitosan composite incorporated with montmorillonite clay for anti-diabetic drug sitagliptin. The prepared composites were assessed for their physical and chemical properties by measuring their mechanical strength, swelling capability, UV transparency and were also characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD and DSC. An in vitro study conducted in media simulating the physiological conditions of the stomach and intestine showed that approximately 38% of the drug was released in the acidic environment of the stomach, followed by a sustained release pattern in the small intestine. Drug release kinetics study indicated Koresmeyer–Peppas model as best fit indicating diffusion as the driving force behind release of drug from the polymeric matrix. Based on the results obtained, it is anticipated that the prepared composites can act as potential drug carriers for oral administration.