Application of curdlan to controlled drug delivery. I. The preparation and evaluation of theophylline-containing curdlan tablets.

To study the use of curdlan, a natural beta-1,3-glucan, in drug delivery, in vitro release studies were carried out with curdlan tablets containing theophylline. Tablets were readily prepared by compressing three different curdlan and theophylline mixtures, namely, a physical mixture, spray-dried curdlan particles with theophylline powder, and spray-dried particles of curdlan/theophylline solution. Drug release from the tablets prepared from spray-dried particles of curdlan/theophylline was lowest. The release rate was constant from 1 to 8 hr, and 59% cumulative release was obtained at 8 hr. Drug release from curdlan tablets was unaffected by pH or various ions; these curdlan tablets might also control drug release in vivo after oral administration. Application of Higuchi's equation indicated that drug release from curdlan tablets was diffusion-controlled. The release profiles of the curdlan tablets were compared to those of a commercial theophylline sustained-release tablet.