Pravin S. Waghchoure

The current work deals with the formulation and development of sustained release tablets of Aceclofenac using natural polymers. Anacardium Occidentale (Cashew) gum and xanthan gum were used as a sustained release polymers. Literature survey has revealed that Anacardium Occidentale (Cashew) gum has been used as a pharmaceutical excipient, namely: as a binding agent in tablet formulations, emulsifying agent in emulsions, suspending agent in suspensions and mucoadhesive in mucoadhesive tablet. In this present study we tried to explore its drug release control properties. Aceclofenac drug was used as model drug and xanthan gum was used alone and in combination with cashew gum. Collected cashew gum was purified and checked for its purity by determination of microbial load. Different formulations were set by taking different concentrations of cashew gum, xanthan gum and combinations of both the gums. Tablets were prepared using wet (non-aqueous) granulation method. The flow properties of the granules were evaluated (angle of repose, bulk density, taped density, Car’s index, Hausner’s ratio) and the physical properties of the compressed tablets, namely dimensions, uniformity of weight, hardness, friability and dissolution rate were determined. All results obtained from these tests were found to be within permissible limit. The granules had good flow properties as evidenced by their Hausner’s ratio and Carr’s index values. From the overall result obtained and drug release profile we can conclude that cashew gum can be used as sustained release polymer in sustained release tablet.

Nasal drug delivery is an excellent approach for avoiding first pass effect of oral dosage form. It offers a direct systemic delivery of drugs. Nasal administration can therefore be used as an alternative to oral administration for example tablets and capsules if a fast effect is desired or if the drug is extensively degraded in the gut or liver. The primary goal of this article is to study factors affecting nasal drug absorption and the in-vitro methods available for nasal absorption of drugs. There are many in-vitro models for testing absorption studies and it has many advantages over in-vivo methods such as a controlled environmental study of epithelial cell growth and differentiation, drug transport pathways and mechanisms are elucidated easily, it has very fast means of evaluating drug permeability and to minimize expensive use of animals. Cell culture and cell line models were found to be best for nasal in-vitro absorption studies. Similar results are obtained from in-vitro studies. So by using in-vitro methods one can mimic the in-vivo conditions. It avoids disadvantages of in-vivo study. It was concluded that in-vitro models mimics the results of in-vivo study. But up till now no any system is superior to one another. Keywords- In-vitro methods, nasal drug absorption, PDMS and Culture models.