Controlled Release of Theophylline Monohydrate from Amylodextrin Tablets: In Vitro Observations

Amylodextrin is a linear dextrin and can be produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of the -1,6 glycosidic bonds of amylopectin. Tablets compacted from pure amylodextrin showed good binding properties and did not disintegrate in aqueous media. Extended and decreasing drug release rates were found for tablets of 300 mg with a diameter of 9 mm containing 70% amylodextrin and 30% theophylline monohydrate, when compacted at 5 kN. Almost-constant drug release rates were obtained for these tablets when compacted at 10 or 15 kN. Nearly constant drug release rates were also shown for amylodextrin tablets with a drug load up to 75% compacted at 10 kN. Both release rate and release profile could be adjusted by selecting tablet thickness and incorporation of either lactose as a highly soluble excipient or talc as a hydrophobic excipient.     

Preparation,Characterization, and Pharmaceutical Application of Linear Dextrins. II. Complexation and Dispersion of Drugs with Amylodextrin by Freeze-Drying and Kneading

The ability of amylodextrin (a linear dextrin) to act as a complexing agent or as a carrier for solid dispersion was evaluated. Blends of amylodextrin with diazepam or prednisolone were freeze-dried and kneaded at elevated temperatures, respectively. The products were analyzed by DSC, X-ray diffractometry, and FTIR spectroscopy. Complex formation with amylodextrin by freeze-drying was found not to occur for diazepam but for prednisolone at a molar ratio of 1 to 1. The freeze-dried product of diazepam with amylodextrin proved to be a solid dispersion. Solid dispersions were formed by both wet (with ethanol) and dry kneading at elevated temperatures of low-melting drugs such as lidocain, diazepam, and methyl-PABA with amylodextrin. No solid dispersions were obtained for high-melting drugs such as prednisolone and salicylic acid. The results point to the formation of solid dispersions by a melting mechanism during the process of kneading at elevated temperatures of low-melting drugs with amylodextrin.     

Preparation,Characterization, and Pharmaceutical Application of Linear Dextrins. III. Drug Release from Fatty Suppository Bases Containing Amylodextrin

Drug release from fatty suppository bases containing a solid dispersion of diazepam with amylodextrin or a complex of prednisolone with amylodextrin was analyzed in a flow-through model. Being present as a suspension in the fatty base, particles of complex or solid dispersion are transported to the lipid–water interface by sedimentation. After entering the aqueous phase they partially dissolve. The suppositories showed increased drug release compared with the corresponding suppositories containing drug only. Because of the partial solubility of amylodextrin, drug release was lower than the release from drug–cyclodextrin complexes. Use of the soluble fraction of amylodextrin for both the solid dispersion and the complex further enhanced drug release, but it was still below that of drug–cyclodextrin complexes.     

Preparation,Characterization, and Pharmaceutical Application of Linear Dextrins. I. Preparation and Characterization of Amylodextrin,Metastable Amylodextrins,and Metastable Amylose

The linear dextrin amylodextrin was prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis from waxy maize. Four metastable amylodextrins were prepared by complexation with different volatile organic compounds. All products showed partial dissolution into water at room temperature, because of dissolution of molecules with a lower DP. X-ray diffractometry revealed a helical conformation with six glucose units per turn for amylodextrin and metastable amylodextrins prepared with small molecules, and a helical conformation with seven glucose units per turn for metastable amylodextrins prepared with larger molecules. All metastable amylodextrins showed a helix with reduced distance between two turns as compared to amylodextrin. Metastable amylose, prepared from Amylose V, showed a helical conformation again with a reduced distance between two turns compared to Amylose V. FTIR analysis indicated a more flexible conformation for Amylose V and metastable amylose than for the amylodextrins.     

Controlled Release of Paracetamol from Amylodextrin Tablets: In Vitro and in Vivo Results

Amylodextrin is a suitable excipient for the design of solid controlled-release systems. The release of paracetamol from tablets containing 30% drug and 70% amylodextrin was studied in vitro and in vivo. In vitro dissolution profiles showed almost-constant drug release rates during 8 hr, when measured in 0.05 M buffer, pH 6.8. Peroral administration of the tablets to man showed almost-constant paracetamol plasma levels up to 14 hr, as compared to fast absorption and fast elimination of a reference paracetamol solution. The plasma profiles of eight volunteers demonstrated a small intersubject variability during the first day after tablet administration. Increasing variability and decreasing plasma levels during the second day were caused by excretion of tablets from the bodies. Cumulative input as a function of time showed near-zero-order drug release during the first day. The in vivo results indicate that amylodextrin tablets are not hydrolyzed by -amylase, present in the gastrointestinal tract.