Preparation, Characterization and In Vitro / In Vivo Evaluation of Oral Time-Controlled Release Etodolac Pellets.

The objective of this study was to prepare time-controlled release etodolac pellets to facilitate drug administration according to the body's biological rhythm, optimize the drug's desired effects, and minimize adverse effects. The preparation consisted of three laminal layers from center to outside: the core, the swelling layer, and the insoluble polymer membrane. Factors influenced the core and the coating films were investigated in this study. The core pellets formulated with etodolac, lactose, and sodium carboxymethyl starch (CMS-Na) were prepared by extrusion-spheronization and then coated by a fluidized bed coater. Croscarmellose sodium (CC-Na) was selected as the swelling agent, and ethyl cellulose (EC) as the controlled release layer. The prepared pellets were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and evaluated by a dissolution test and a pharmacokinetic study. Compared with commercial available capsules, pharmacokinetics studies in beagle dogs indicated that the prepared pellets release the drug within a short period of time, immediately after a predetermined lag time. A good correlation between in vitro dissolution and in vivo absorption of the pellets was exhibited in the analysis.

Self-Assembling Organogels Based on Pluronic and Lecithin for Sustained Release of Etodolac: In Vitro and In Vivo Correlation.

BACKGROUND: Etodolac, a member of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), has a poor aqueous solubility. Long term administration of etodolac causes severe gastrointestinal disturbances such as peptic ulcer and bleeding. These disturbances could be overcome by alternative routes such as a topical administration. METHOD: In the present study, pluronic lecithin organogels (PLOs) were prepared by simple mixing of pluronic solution with lecithin solution. Etodolac was loaded into the prepared gels or added during the gel formation. The physicochemical properties of the modified organogels were investigated by different analysis including visual inspection, pH determination, viscosity, spreadability and extrudability. Also, the in vitro release studies of etodolac in the presence of different penetration enhancers were carried out. The anti-inflammatory behavior of the prepared etodolac organogel was investigated using carrageenan induced paw edema test. RESULTS: The results indicated that the prepared organogels showed good physicochemical properties. The organogels, containing a combination of tween 80 and oleic acid as penetration enhancers, showed the highest percentage of drug release. CONCLUSION: All tested organogels showed a significant oedema inhibition compared with oral indomethacin ® and Voltaren® as a topical marketed anti-inflammatory drug. Moreover, the increase of drug concentration from 1% to 5% w/w is accompanied with a longer duration of action up to 12 hrs. Therefore, the formulated organogels are considered as a promising vehicle for controlled topical delivery of etodolac.