Shellac‐based drug delivery system with controlled drug‐release and tunable intragastric floating‐retention properties

Abstract

AbstractIntragastric floating‐retention drug delivery system (IFRDDS) could effectively prolong drug‐releasing time, achieving a good clinical efficacy of encapsulated drug. In this research, the green amphiphilic resin, shellac was adopted to fabricate a continuous network as the matrix of IFRRDS by their self‐assembly behavior triggered by H+. Meanwhile, the NaHCO3 and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) acted as a forming agent and a precipitating agent to control the floating behavior, respectively, which could create a porous structure for lowering the true density of the tablet and continuously absorb water to enhance the density of tablet, respectively. Interestingly, the synergistic effect of NaHCO3 and HPMC was beneficial to the initiation of the floating of the complex tablet. By regulating tablet's constitution, we could tune the floating lag time, floating time, and drug‐release behavior of the tablet. For example, the drug‐releasing curve of the shellac‐based tablet containing 3 wt% HPMC and 10 wt% NaHCO3 presented a typical linear model, which was an ideal linear drug‐releasing system, and could float in 3 min and last for 16 h. Therefore, we successfully employed a facile strategy to fabricate a biobased IFRRDS with controlled drug‐release and tunable intragastric floating‐retention properties, which has great potential for the advanced medical industry.