Controlled Release Salbutamol Sulphate Molded Tablets Using Eudragit Retard

Permeable acrylic resins were used as efficient retarding materials to prepare controlled release salbutamol sulphate molded tablets. The formulation is simple, efficient, economic and is easily shaped into molded tablets. The effects of two types of acrylic resins, namely: Eudragit RL100 ad Eudragit RS100 in concentrations 1, 2 and 5% w/w on the physical characteristics as well as on the in vitro release patterns of salbutamol sulphate from molded tablets prepared with either polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 or 6000 were studied. It was revealed that, as the molecular weight of the PEG increased, the hardness of the tablets increased. Considerable retardation in the drug release was observed by using Eudragit RS100 as compared to Eudragit RL100. The formulation prepared with PEG 6000 and 5% Eudragit RS100 produced much more release time prolongation than the other tested formulations. On the other hand, tablets prepared by the direct compression technique produced a faster release of salbutamol sulphate than those prepared by molding.