Chemical Modification of Pectins, Characterization and Evaluation for Drug Delivery

The aim of this work was the chemical modification of pectins by limited acetylation of their free hydroxyl groups to yield high ester pectins and to investigate its swelling and erosion behavior along with the effect on the release pattern of drugs. Ibuprofen as a weakly acidic drug was formulated as tablets using chemically modified pectin and its impact on drug release was studied. Optimum concentrations of the modified pectin in such a system protect the tablet throughout the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) for 10–12 hrs. The pectin modified with acetylating agent was found to be promising to modify the release of drugs which are to be delivered throughout GIT. Drug dissolution studies were carried out in buffers of pH 1.2 and 6.8 and the system was designed based on the total GIT transit time concept. This article reviews physicochemical characterization of chemically modified pectins, correlation of the physicochemical characteristics with the drug release pattern of ibuprofen and the potential use of chemically modified pectin for modified release dosage forms.