Design and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of mucoadhesive microcapsules of glipizide for oral controlled release: A technical note

Conclussion  Thus, large spherical microcapsules with a coat consisting of alginate and a mucoadhesive polymer (sodium CMC, methylcellulose, Carbopol, or HPMC) could be prepared by an orifice-ionic gelation process. The microcapsules exhibited good mucoadhesive properties in an in vitro test. Glipizide release from these mucoadhesive microcapsules was slow and extended over longer periods of time and depended on composition of the coat. Drug release was diffusion controlled and followed zero-order kinetics after a lag, period of 1 hour. In the in vivo evaluation, alginate-Carbopol microcapsules could sustain the hypoglycemic effect of glipizide over a 14-hour period. These mucoadhesive microcapsules are, thus, suitable for oral controlled release of glipizide.