Abstract
Diltiazem was microencapsulated with ethyl cellulose by coacervation method and the microcapsules were studied. Drug release followed first order kinetics.Slow and controlled drug release and a good linear relationship between percent coat material and release rate constant were observed. Drug release mechanism was found to be of diffusion type. The microcapsules are free flowing. The microcapsules upon compression exhibited slow release over a period of 8 hours in simulated gastrointestinal fluids and found suitable for sustained release dosage forms.
