Preparation and characterization of colon-targeted particles of Pulsatilla chinensis saponins.

Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat ulcerative colitis. This study prepared and characterized colon-targeted particles of P. chinensis saponins by particle design. Most of the P. chinensis saponins in the composite particles were coated with Eudragit S100, as seen in SEM micrographs; meanwhile, the characteristic diffraction peaks in X-RD, surface wettability, and particle size distribution of the composite particles were basically the same as those of Eudragit S100. These results suggested that the mechanochemical process could be used to prepare colon-targeted particles with core-shell structures with the drug coated by the excipient; the results also showed similar surface characteristics in the coating.