Studies on the Development and Evaluation of Colon Targeted Mesalamine Tablets Based on Eudragit L100-Chitosan Interpolyelectrolye Complexes

An attempt was made to prepare and evaluate colon targeted Mesalamine tablets based on interpolyelectrolyte complex. Tablets were prepared by wet granulation technique using varying ratios of Eudragit L100 (EL) and Chitosan (CS) polymers. Results obtained showed that the tablets conformed to compendial requirements for acceptance and CS and EL formed IPECs that showed pH-dependent swelling properties and prolonged the in vitro release of Mesalamine from the tablets in the following descending order: 3 : 2 > 2 : 3 > 1 : 1 ratios of CS and EL. An electrostatic interaction between the carbonyl (-CO-) group of EL and amino (-NH3 +) group of CS of the tablets formulated with the IPECs was capable of preventing drug release in the stomach and small intestine and helped in delivering the drug to the colon. Kinetic analysis of drug release profiles showed that the systems predominantly released Mesalamine in a zero-order manner.