At present study, to effectively deliver sulfasalazine (SA) to the colon, pH sensitive polymeric beads were prepared by ionic gelation of alginate-N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan (NOCC) blend solution in CaCl2 solution. A 32 full factorial design was employed to evaluate the effect of polymer and CaCl2 concentration on the drug release behavior of the beads in simulated gastrointestinal tract fluid. Both factors had significant effect on drug release behavior of carriers. Increasing polymer and CaCl2 concentration resulted in decreased rate of swelling and SA release. No burst effect for drug release was observed. Based on these results, the alginate-NOCC beads prepared with high polymer concentration are potentially suitable polymeric carrier for colon-specific delivery of sulfasalazine.
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