FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF MICROSPONGES LOADED WITH ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG SULFASALAZINE

The present research is aimed to develop and characterize Sulfasalazine loaded microsponges-based novel colon-specific drug delivery systems in a view to bypass the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) for enhanced therapeutic effect. Microsponges were developed by quasi emulsion solvent diffusion method by using two different polymers Eudragit L-100 and Ethyl cellulose in the ratio of 1:1, 1:0.75, 1:0.5,1:0.25. Among these formulations two were selected, sieved and compressed into tablets. Then tablets were evaluated. The F4 was selected as optimizedformulation based on % entrapment efficiency of 94.56%, and % cumulative drug release of 94.76.Release studies revealed that microsponges prevented the premature release of Sulfasalazine in upperGIT andspecifically released the drug at colonic pH.