| Abstract: | Acrylamide was grafted onto acacia gum in different ratios (1 : 1, 1 : 3, and 1 : 5). The graft copolymers formed were characterized by FTIR, rheological measurements, and differential thermal analysis. Tablets were prepared from these polymers loaded with two antihypertensive drugs, viz., diltiazem hydrochloride and nifedipine. The in vitro release experiments were carried out in simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. The graft copolymer prepared in the ratio 1 : 5 of acacia gum : acrylamide matrix was found to be a suitable matrix to investigate the controlled release of diltiazem hydrochloride and nifedipine. The drug release continued up to 6 and 14 h, respectively, for diltiazem hydrochloride and nifedipine. The release mechanism was investigated by using the mathematical equations proposed by Higuchi, Hixson‐Crowell, and Kopcha. Based on the release kinetics data, a correlation was attempted between the erosion‐controlled release and the dissolution‐controlled release. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2245–2253, 2004 |
