DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF DROTOVERINE TASTE MASKED TABLETS WITH IMPROVED DISSOLUTION EFFICIENCY USING SOLID DISPERSION TECHNIQUE
The purpose of this research is to mask the bitter taste of the drug, Drotoverine using solid dispersion technique. The taste-masked drug is formulated in to a conventional tablet by direct compression method for ease of administration. Taste masking was done by solid dispersion using polymer such as urea and mannitol by melting/fusion method Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed to identify the physicochemical interaction between drug and carrier, hence its effect on dissolution. Conventional taste masked tablets were evaluated for weight variation, disintegration time, hardness and friability. In vitro drug release studies were performed for conventional tablets of drotoverine. Bitterness score was evaluated on volunteers. FTIR spectroscopy and SEM showed no interaction between drug and carriers. Conventional tablets prepared using solid dispersion, showed faster disintegration and complete bitter taste masking of drotoverine. In addition the prepared tablets exhibited better dissolution profile. Taste evaluation of taste masked tablets in human volunteers rated tasteless with a score of 0. Thus, results conclusively demonstrated successful masking of taste and oral disintegration of the formulated tablets in the oral cavity with improved dissolution.
Formulation, Development and Evaluation of Novel Dosage Form Containing Silk Fibroin for Elderly Patients
Dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing) is common among all age groups, especially in elderly and pediatrics. Dysphagia can result in compromising the nutritional status, complicating the administration of solid medications and undermining quality of life. Persons suffering from dysphagia may get choked even when they consume liquid formulation, thus to alleviate such problems silk fibroin gel formulation was prepared. Formulation of oral gel was carried out using silk fibroin as a gelling agent, pharmaceutical gelatin as a stiffening agent and DrotaverineHCl as a model drug. A different concentration of silk fibroin ranging from 2 -7% w/v was used to prepare the gel. The prepared formulations were evaluated for appearance, texture, pH, syneresis, drug content, viscosity, and in vitro release. Sucralose was used as a sweetening agent, Sodium benzoate as a preservative, tartrazine as a coloring agent and pineapple flavor. Formulation F2 with 2% silk fibroin concentration not only showed more than 90% drug release in 75 minutes but also the desired organoleptic properties. The optimized formulation F2 showed substantial stability when subjected to short term stability study (5±3 0 C). Problem of dose measurement was outweighed as oral gel to be taken using teaspoon. Dose of the drug is adjusted in such a way that one teaspoonful of gel contains one dose of the drug.
Migration, Labor Mobility, and Relocation Assistance: The Case of the American Indian
This article, an example of "indirect" program evaluation, utilizes a 1/100 public use sample of American households from the 1970 U.S. census to examine family welfare levels among three categories of Indian families: (1) nonmigrant families living in traditional areas of Indian population concentration; (2) families in areas not receiving relocation assistance through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); and (3) migrant families moving to urban areas with BIA relocation assistance. The article concludes that the population of migrants receiving relocation assistance has a substantially higher level of economic welfare in both absolute and relative terms and that earnings are the principal source of increased welfare. It is suggested that such assistance might be utilized on a wider basis to assist other migrating populations.