This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Boswellia gum resin on the properties of glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinked chitosan polymer composites and their potential as oral delivery vehicles for a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, aceclofenac. The incorporation of resinous material caused a significant improvement in drug entrapment efficiency (∼40%) of the polymer composites. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis confirmed the formation of chitosan-gum resin composites and did not show any evidence of drug-polymer chemical interaction. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) suggested the formation of particulate polymer composites up to chitosan:gum resin mass ratio of 1:3. Only 8-17% drug was released into HCl solution (pH 1.2) in 2h. The drug release rate of polymer composites was faster in phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8). The composites released ∼60-68% drug load in 7h. In same duration, the drug release rate suddenly boosted up to 92% as the concentration of gum resin in the composites was raised to 80%. The drug release mechanism deviated from non-Fickian to case-II type with increasing resin concentration in the composites. Hence, GA-treated Boswellia resin-chitosan composites could be considered as alternative vehicles for oral delivery of aceclofenac.
Keywords: Boswellia gum resin; Chitosan; Drug delivery vehicles; Polymer composites.
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