Formulation and Development of Ethyl Cellulose Coated Pectin Based Capecitabine Loaded Microspheres for Colorectal Cancer

The main objective of present investigation was to design the colorectal microspheres of Capecitabine by using inexpensive natural polysaccharide based polymers. The pectin microspheres were prepared by single emulsification technique using calcium chloride as crosslinking agent. Pectin loaded microspheres were coated with ethyl cellulose by solvent evaporation method. The prepared microspheres were characterized by entrapment efficiency, particle size, in-vitro drug release, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The in-vitro drug release behaviour of ethyl cellulose coated pectin microspheres done in varying pH conditions up to 12 hr. Optimized uncoated batch of pectin based capecitabine microspheres showed optimum particle size with good drug encapsulation efficiency and spherical in nature. All the formulations showed less than 20 % drug release in acidic environment. Ethyl cellulose coated microspheres mininised initial burst effect and showed drug release in the range of 85.33 to 95.55% at the end of 12h. As concentration of ethyl cellulose was increased drug release was found to be retarded well. From above results it can be concluded that capecitabine loaded ethyl cellulose coated pectin based microspheres may be the best alternative to conventional tablets to treat the colon cancer.