Taro-corms mucilage-alginate microspheres for the sustained release of pregabalin: In vitro & in vivo evaluation

Abstract Taro corms mucilage (TCM)-alginate microspheres had been prepared using TCM and alginate as blend and coated form in various ratios through inotropic gelation approach. The prepared microspheres have been of sphere-formed having coarse surface with average particle size within the range 498 μm ± 0.17 to 715 μm ± 0.34. The drug entrapment efficiency was 74.33 ± 0.04% to 89.63 ± 0.01% and swelling of microspheres followed the pattern (blended >coated >plain). FTIR research showed that there had been no interactions among pregabalin and polymers used; these microspheres were further characterized by DSC and XRD. The in vitro drug release followed sustained release (Korsmeyer-Peppas model) pattern (R2 = 0.9552–0.9906) and value of n > 1 showed that drug released by means of anomalous (non-Fickian) diffusion. The in vivo research established that there were highly significant difference with p