• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to microencapsulate a highly hygroscopic drug, pyridostigmine bromide (PB), with a waterproof wall material, in order to increase the flowability of the drug particles. Polyvinylacetaldiethylaminoacetate (AEA), Eugragit E and Eugragit RS were examined as the wall materials. Microcapsules containing PB were prepared by the evaporation technique in an acetone/liquid paraffin system using aluminum tristearate as a core material, and evaluated for drug encapsulation efficiency, surface morphology, particle size and drug dissolution. The encapsulation of PB in the wall material was almost complete. Among the wall materials examined, AEA exhibited the most excellency in shape, surface texture, flowability, size distribution of microcapsules. Above results suggest that AEA would be a potential wall material for microcapsulation of highly hygroscopic drugs, such as PB. Through microencapsulation with AEA, inconvenience of handling of PB powders encountered in the process of weighing and packing the powders to tableting die or capsule body could be greatly improved.