title: New levodopa sustained-release floating minitablets coated with insoluble acrylic polymer.
abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a new coated multiple-unit sustained-release floating system that is able to float over an extended period of time. Levodopa was used as a model drug. The system consisted of a 3mm drug-containing gas-generating core, prepared by melt granulation and subsequent compression, and coated with a flexible polymeric membrane. Eudragit RL30D and ATEC were used as a film former and a plasticizer, respectively. The coating level was fixed at 20% (w/w). The floating lag time decreased as the proportion of effervescent agents increased. The optimized coated floating minitablets could float within 20min and remained buoyant for more than 13h. In addition, a sustained release of levodopa for more than 20h was observed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goole
authors.forename: Ph
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deleuze
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vanderbist
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amighi
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012995:Solubility; D013607:Tablets