Preparation and Evaluation Of Drug-Containing Chitosan Beads

Sulfadiazine beads were prepared by dropping drug-containing solutions of the positively charged polysaccharide, chitosan, into tripolyphosphate (TPP) solutions. The droplets instantaneously formed gelled spheres by ionotropic gelation, entrapping the drug within a three-dimensional network of the ionically linked polymer. To achieve maximum drug content, high payloads, short gelation times, low TPP concentrations, and a low internal to external phase ratio were required. The chitosan beads showed pH-dependent swelling and dissolution behavior. The beads swelled and dissolved in 0.1N HCl, while they stayed intact in simulated intestinal fluid. The release of sulfadiazine in 0.1N HCl decreased with increasing concentration of TPP, but was independent of the TPP concentration in intestinal fluids. The morphology of the beads was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The porosity of the beads depended on the method of drying.