PREPARATION OF ACETAMINOPHEN MICROCAPSULES BY CONSERVATION-PHASE SEPARATION METHOD

In this study, it was aimed to prepare prolonged action microcapsules of acetaminophen with short biological half-life by a non-solvent addition method which is one of the coaservation-phase separation techniques. For this purpose, the three different particle size ranges of acetaminophen (0.088 - 0.177 mm, 0.250 - 0.354 mm, 0.420 - 0.500 mm) were used. The solution of polyisobuthylene in cyclohexane as ci non-solvent and Eudragit RS and Eudragit RL as coating polymers were also used. The prepared microsapsules were compressed by a hydraulic press using different types of direct tableting agents such as Ludipress, Avicel PH 101 and Lactose EP D 30. Dissolution rates of each tablet containing 160 mg of microencapsulated acetaminophen were examined by continuous flow-through cell method The results of this study showed that the release rate of drug from microcapsules prepared with Eudragit RS was lower than that of microcapsules prepared with Eudragit RL. However different particle size ranges of drug didn't affect significantly the release rate; but different types of direct tableting agents were effective on the release rate of drug.