Development and in vitro evaluation of pantoprazole-loaded microspheres.

Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor prodrug used in the treatment of gastric ulcers and gastroesophageal disease. Pantoprazole must be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and because it is unstable under acidic conditions, enteric delivery systems are required. The purpose of this study was to prepare pantoprazole-loaded microspheres by emulsion-solvent evaporation technique using two different types of enteric-coating polymers: Eudragit S 100 and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phtalate. The microspheres have been characterized in terms of their morphology, encapsulation efficiency, and ability of stabilizing pantoprazole in acidic media. Pantoprazole determinations were carried out using a validated spectrophotometric method for the analysis of drug in dissolution media. All microspheres, except F2 formulation, were successfully obtained. The in vitro assay showed that especially F1 and F4 microspheres were more effective in protecting the drug than F3 microspheres in acidic media.