DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF MINI-TABLETS - PULSATILE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM OF RAMIPRIL

The aim of present study was to design and evaluate mini-tablets: pulsatile delivery of Ramipril based on chronophamaceutical approach for the treatment of hypertension. In the present study the immediate release core mini tablets were prepared by direct compression by using different superdisintegrantslike sodium starch glycollate, croscaramellose sodium and crospovidone. The optimized core tablets were then coated with PH sensitive polymers like Eudragit -S100 and Eudragit- L100. To get the desired dissolution profile various parameters like coating time and coat thickness studied. The formulated coated tablets were evaluated for hardness, thickness, friability, weight variation, drug content, and disintegration time and in-vitro drug release. In-vitro drug release was found to be 98.2% from coated tablets after 6hrs lag time. FT-IR spectra revealed that no chemical incompatibility between the drug and other excipients. The results concluded that the programmable pulsatile release has been achieved from coated tablets after a lag time of 6 hrs, which is consistent with the demands of the chronotherapeutic drug delivery and increasing bioavailability. Key words: pulsatile drug delivery, chronopharmaceutics, Ramipril, superdisintegrants, PH sensitive polymers