Amoxycillin release from a floating dosage form based on alginates

Floating alginate beads have been prepared from alginate solutions containi ng either dissolved or suspended amoxycillin. The beads were produced by th e dropwise addition of the alginate into calcium chloride solution, followe d by removal of the gel beads and freeze drying. Drug release studies showe d that beads prepared with the drug in solution provided some sustained rel ease characteristics and that these could be improved by the addition of am ylose. In all cases, the drug release was consistent with release of a diss olved solute from a granular or porous matrix. The beads retained their buo yancy when amylose and amoxycillin were incorporated: exhibiting resultant weight values greater than zero after 20 h. Preparation of the beads from a lginate solutions containing the drug in suspension allowed higher drug loa dings, at the expense of faster release and lower buoyancy. (O) 2000 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.