Sustained-release dosage form of oxolamine citrate: preparation and release kinetics.

One of the principal uses of microencapsulation for pharmaceuticals has been the preparation of sustained-release dosage forms which have been usually presented in the form of a suspension or gel. However, a non-disintegrating tablet would be a better formulation to obtain sustained-release effect. Microencapsulation has been employed to provide protection of the core material against atmospheric effects, to cover the unpleasant taste and to enhance the stability. A number of drugs have also been encapsulated to reduce gastric and other GI tract irritations, to alter release properties and to change availability. Oxolamine citrate is one of the synthetic derivatives of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-oxodiazole, used particularly for its antitussive activity. The usual dose of the drug is 200 mg given four times a day. Its use was limited by side-effects of nausea and vomiting. In order to prevent the disadvantages caused by taking the drug four times daily, and to reduce the side-effects, a sustained-release dosage form of oxolamine citrate was prepared by the microencapsulation technique and microcapsules thus formed were pressed into tablets. Dissolution tests were done with microcapsules and tablets formed by microcapsules by using the USPXXI paddle method and dissolution kinetics were studied and evaluated.