Development and Characterization of Prednisolone Microspheres for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

The aim of this study was to formulate a microspheres of prednisolone sodium phosphate with a controlled release of the drug. The FTIR and DSC spectra revealed that there was no interaction between polymers and drug. Microspheres of prednisolone sodium phosphate were successfully prepared using chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate polymers by ion gelation method. The percentage yield of all microspheres increased as the amount of polymer was decreased in each preparation method. The entrapment efficiency was good in all the cases. The particle size of optimized formula was 35.5 μm. SEM analysis of the optimized formula revealed that the formulation was spherical with smooth surface. In vitro release of prednisolone sodium phosphate decreased as concentration of polymer increased. Stability studies for two months revealed that the formulation was stable in 40°C ± 2°C and 75% ± 5% RH. Hence, the prepared microspheres of prednisolone sodium phosphate may prove to be potential candidate for safe and effective controlled drug delivery over an extended period of time.