Devising Interactive Dissolution Experiment for Pharmacy Students (part II): Use of Dialysis Bag Method to Evaluate Effect of Dialysis Bag Length on Drug Release from Novel Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

Laboratory experiments of pharmaceutics (5 years pharmacy graduation degree, Pharm D and 2 years postgraduate degree, M.Phil) include dissolution experiments of conventional release tablets and capsules. This paper reports an interactive dissolution experiments for niosomes by dialysis bag method which may be adapted to find interesting observation with minor modification. Dialysis tubes of different length were taken and filled with drug loaded niosomes. Dissolution studies were conducted at 25°C and 50 rpm stirring rate in 500 ml distilled water. Dialysis rate was initially influenced by the length of the tube i.e. drug release rate was faster from longer tubes. Later, drug release rate became independent of length and difference in release profile was negligible. These results demonstrate that dialysis tube cab affect drug release behavior independent of drug delivery system. However, this effect may not be significant in case of sustained or extended release. It was also observed that participant students were involved actively in the laboratory experiment and able to relate these observations theoretically with Fick’s law of diffusion and Noyes-Whitney equation.