Abstract

The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate a drug delivery system of nitrofurantion to control urinary tract infection by achieving a sustained nitrofurantoin serum and urinary level over a prolonged period of time but without the concomitant side effects. Ethyl cellulose multiparticulate micropellets containing nitrofurantion were prepared using emulsification/solvent evaporation technique. The optimized formulations were extensively evaluated using I.R. spectroscopy, particle size analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), stability studies and finally in vitro and in vivo release rate studies. No drug polymer interaction could be detected. The release of drug more or less followed zero order, first order Higuchi and Binomial Model equations. The in vitro release studies were monitored over the entire pH range of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) fluid. A linear correlation was obtained in the in vitro-in vivo studies.