Polyacrylate resin microcapsules for taste masking of antibiotics

Abstract

Various microencapsulated dosage forms were prepared to limit the release of an antibiotic in solution for up to 3 days and in the oral cavity following per oral administration. An experimental antibiotic, clarithromycin (TE-031), was used in these studies. The drug was first encapsulated in gelatin followed in some cases by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. The gelatin microcapsules were then coated with acrylic resins (Eudragit®), whose solubility properties vary according to pH. A non-solvent coacervation technique was used to apply the Eudragit resins. It was found that crosslinking the gelatin retarded release of TE-031 somewhat relative to that from uncrosslinked gelatin microcapsules in a 72 h release experiment conducted at room temperature. Coating the gelatin microcapsules with Eudragit resins L100, S100, or E100 slowed the release of TE-031 further still; less TE-031 was released over 72 h from the Eudragit-coated formulations prepared with crosslinked gelatin compared with formulations prepared with uncrosslinked gelatin. The Eudragit ElOO-coated crosslinked gelatin microcapsule formulation was most effective in preventing release of the TE-031 under simulated conditions of storage in an aqueous solution.