GELLAN MICRO-CARRIERS FOR pH-RESPONSIVE SUSTAINED
ORAL DELIVERY OF GLIPIZIDE
SABYASACHI MAITI1*, BIBEK LAHA1, LEENA KUMARI1
1Department of Pharmaceutics, Gupta College of Technological Sciences, Ashram More, G.T. Road, Asansol 713301, West
Bengal, India
*corresponding author: sabya245@rediffmail.com
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Abstract:
The gellan gum (GG) micro-carriers were prepared by ionic and covalent crosslinking reactions for pH-sensitive delivery of
glipizide. Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed the synthesis of particle carriers and chemical drugpolymer
interaction. The particles ranged between 910 and 1050 μm and showed ~ 82-95% drug entrapment efficiency.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed spherical particle morphology. Ca+2-GG particles swelled in simulated gastric
fluid without enzymes (pH 1.2) less than in simulated intestinal fluids (pH 6.8) and therefore resulted in the release of small
amounts of drugs in acidic fluid (8-12%). The swelling and surface erosion behaviours were accounted for drug release from
the Ca+2-GG particles. Glutaraldehyde (GA) treated Ca+2-GG particles eventually swelled in highly acidic and weakly
alkaline media with limited surface erosion. However, the amount of drug released did not corroborate with the degree of
swelling of the particles. They released only 66% entrapped drug in simulated bio-fluids after 8 h. The relative contribution
of simple diffusion and polymer relaxation phenomena in the anomalous transport of drug was evaluated by Peppas-Sahlin
mathematical modelling. The pH-responsive GA-treated GG-micro-carriers had the potential to control the release of drug
over a long period of time in simulated fluids.

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