ABSTRACT
Carbohydrate polymeric blend microspheres consisting of chitosan (CS) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion method. These microspheres were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and loaded with Acebutolol HCl, an anti hypertensive drug. The microspheres were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray diffraction (X-RD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM).The FTIR spectroscopy explains the crosslinking between the CS-PVA. DSC& X-RD indicated the molecular level distribution of Acebutolol HCl drug in the polymer matrix. The SEM of the microspheres suggested the formation of spherical particles. Swelling experiments on the microspheres provided important information on drug diffusion properties. Release data have been analyzed using an empirical equation to understand the nature of transport of drug containing solution through the polymeric matrices. The controlled release characteristic of the matrices for Acebutolol HCl was investigated in pH 7.4 media. The results indicate that the drug was released in a controlled manner up to 10 h.