DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL GASTRORETENTIVE MULTIUNIT PARTICULATE SYSTEM AND COLON TARGETED TABLET IN CAPSULE SYSTEM FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF ANAEMIA

Malnutrition is a condition in which there is an imbalance in the proportion of essential nutrients that the body requires to stay healthy. The most prevalent form of malnutrition is micronutrient deficiency and of this iron deficiency anaemia is the most common type, affecting over 2 billion people worldwide. Micronutrients are a special class of vital ingredients that are required in minuscule quantities to perform a wide range of physiological functions. The current therapy for the treatment of Iron deficiency anaemia has many drawbacks like gastrointestinal side effects, erratic absorption of iron, etc. To overcome the above side effects, we tried to develop and evaluate a site-specific sustained-release combined drug delivery system of Iron and Folic acid. Iron as Ferrous ions is preferentially absorbed in the jejunum. To facilitate the absorption of iron, the gastro retentive multiunit particulate system (GRMUPs) was developed comprising Ferrous Ascorbate is a source of iron. Colon targeted tablet was developed for Folic acid to localize and maximize the absorption of Folic acid in the colon. The objective was to avoid competitive absorption of two micro-nutrients in the jejunum. A factorial design was employed to optimize the formulation of GRMUPs effervescent system containing Ferrous Ascorbate. The GRMUPs were evaluated for floating lag time, floating time, and drug release profile. Folic acid core tablets were coated with colon targeted film and were evaluated for site-specific release in the simulated colonic fluid. Further, both the systems were filled in a capsule to provide once-a-day administration.