PREPARATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF
PELLETS CONTAINING A NON-STEROIDAL
ANTIINFLAMATORY DRUG, COATED WITH AN
ENTERIC POLYMER
MIRCEA HÎRJĂU1*, DUMITRU LUPULIASA1, FLAVIAN
RĂDULESCU2, MIRELA ADRIANA MITU1, DALIA MIRON3
University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest,
Faculty of Pharmacy,
1Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy,
2Department of Drug Industry and Pharmaceutical Biotechnologies,
3Department of Pharmaceutical Physics and Informatics,
*corresponding author: mircea.m.hirjau@gmail.com
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Abstract:

The aim of this study was to produce and characterise pellets containing a nonsteroidal antiinflamatory (NSAID) drug, coated with an enteric polymer. The drug-loaded pellets were prepared by extrusion-spheronization using microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel® PH 101) as a spheronization aid, lactose as a filler and polyvynilpyrrolidone K30 as a binder. The coating of the pellets was carried out in a top-spray fluid bed equipment using an enteric coating polymer (Acryl-EZE®). The pellets were analysed for the following
physical parameters, relevant for subsequent processing of the pellets: size distribution, circularity, bulk density. A dissolution study was performed using two dissolution media with different pH values, corresponding to the pH values of the intestinal environment (pH 6.8 phosphate buffer and 7.2 phosphate buffer). The pellets have shown characteristics suitable for hard-capsule filling. The dissolution profiles revealed an enteric drug release.

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