Oral Dosage Forms with Controlled Gastrointestinal Transit

Abstract

The present investigation concerns the development of new dosage forms which, after oral administration, exert an active influence on their gastrointestinal transit. The dosage forms release excipients which aim to increase the lenght of time the drug spends in the absorbing section of the duodenum and small intestine. A delayed gastrointestinal transit is intended to achieve a more complete and longer lasting absorption of drugs with a limited duration of absorption. The present study examined whether, by incorporating triethanolamine myristate (165 mg) as an excipient in tablets containing riboflavine (20 mg) as an example of a drug with limited absorption, the gastrointestinal transit of riboflavine could be delayed and hence its absorption improved. Five subjects took part in the in vivo studies and a pH-telemetering device (Heidelberg capsule) was used to determine gastric residence time.

The investigations showed that in 4 out of 5 subjects, the gastric residence time of the pH-telemetering capsule could be prolonged and the renal elimination of riboflavine increased The increase in renal elimination of riboflavine in the presence of triethanolamine myristate was statistically significant in the 4th urine collection period (0.05 > p> 0.0025).