Biotechnic and Histochemistry 2003-10-01

Nifedipine loaded chitosan microspheres prepared by emulsification phase-separation.

S Dhawan, A K Singla

Index: Biotech. Histochem. 78(5) , 243-54, (2003)

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Abstract

A high yield of nifedipine-chitosan microspheres could be obtained using an emulsification phase-separation method. A high level of entrapment of nifedipine in the microspheres was achieved. The microspheres exhibited excellent swelling properties. Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that at 1.84% loading, nifedipine was dispersed molecularly. The microspheres exhibited faster release at low loadings compared to high loadings. Fitting the data to the coupled Fickian/case II equation, showed that at low loadings polymer relaxation coefficients (k2) were high. As the polymer content increased in the microspheres, the value of n (diffusional exponent characteristic of the release mechanism) approached one, which is indicative of zero order.