Sustained release of indomethacin from chitosan granules in beagle dogs.

The potential of chitosan granules as an oral sustained-release dosage form of indomethacin has been compared with conventional capsules in beagle dogs. When a commercial capsule was administered orally, the plasma concentrations reached the maximum level in 30 min. The granules did not give a sharp peak to the plasma concentration, but produced a sustained plateau of the drug. This may be due to the slow rate of release and a longer residence time in the stomach. Thus, in terms of reducing the peak in plasma concentration and maintenance of drug concentration in plasma, the chitosan granules were superior to conventional capsules.