Kinetics of piroxicam release from low-methylated pectin/zein hydrogel microspheres

The kinetics of a model drug (piroxicam) release from pectin/zein hydrogel microspheres was studied under conditions simulating the gastrointestinal tract. It is established that the rate-limiting step in the release mechanism is drug diffusion out of the microspheres rather than its dissolution. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of using this system based on hydrogel microspheres as a sustained drug delivery system capable of prolonging drug release for a period of 36 h and more with allowance for diffusion and enzymatic biodegradation in the hydrogel.