Improvement of dissolution rate for zaltoprofen tablets using CMC and HPMC

Zaltoprofen is a propionic acid derivative of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and has been widely used in the treatment of a number of arthritic conditions or lumbago. Zaltoprofen has low water solubility and low bioavailability, therefore great efforts have been devoted to enhance the extent of drug adsorption. In this study, zaltoprofen was formulated into a tablet to enhance the bioavailability and to achieve sustained-release using additives such as lactose monohydrate, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC). Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) were employed to study the structure and crystallization of zaltoprofen in the tablet with various contents of additives. It was found that additives had interactions with zaltoprofen and inhibited the crystallization of zaltoprofen. Tablets containing low viscosity HPMC showed a higher release than those containing high viscosity HPMC. Also, as the amount of CMC increased zaltoprofen release increased.