Production and Characterization of Colon Targeted pH Sensitive Macrospheres and Investigation of Release Kinetics

Abstract

The gastrointestinal track has different pH values at different sections. Thus it is not easy to carry a drug to the colon for absorption. pH sensitive polymeric macrosphere drug carriers have important advantages such as being able to be taken orally, targeting the active ingredient to the desired area and dosing the active ingredient at the desired concentration for a long time in the target area. In this contex pH sensitive sodium alginate-gelatin macrospheres were produced by the dispersion phase gelling and cross-linking (complex coacervation) process method then loaded with S. lutea extract in this study. The macrosphere extract release kinetics were investigated for different pH medias that simulates different sections of the gastrointestinal track. As a result, the produced drug carrier macrospheres released the active ingredient at the colon pH (pH 7.0) while at lower pH values did not showed a significant extract release. Therefore, it was reported that the produced macrospheres have potential to be used for colon diseases treatments.