RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: In order to minimize gastrointestinal irritation and to extend the absorption of ketoprofen, microparticles prepared with chitosan have been developed. In this study, chitosan type and drug-chitosan ratio were investigated to prepare microparticles of ketoprofen and evaluated for physical characteristics and drug release profiles. METHODS: Microparticles were prepared by using ionic gelation methods with chitosan, which has two different viscosities i.e., 19 and 50 cPs, cross-linked with tripolyphosphate, and dried by spray drying method. The microparticles were made with a drug-chitosan ratio of 5:15 and 6:15. RESULTS: The results showed that the microparticles had spherical shapes. Increasing the amount of ketoprofen improved the drug content and entrapment efficiency. Evaluation of drug release in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8) showed that the microparticles prepared with chitosan 19 cPs had the slowest release rate than those of chitosan 50 cPs, while that of the microparticles prepared with chitosan 50 cPs with the ratio of drug/polymer 6:15 was the fastest, as shown by its slope value. The release rate of microparticles with chitosan 19 cPs was slower than those microparticles with chitosan 50 cPs. CONCLUSIONS: It could be suggested that by increasing the amount of ketoprofen, it improved the entrapment efficiency and the release rate of microparticles.