Development, Optimization and Evaluation of Mesalamine and Curcumin Loaded Microparticles for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

Survi Barnawal, S Rajarajan, Beny Baby, Sara Rai, K Ramesh

The present study aimed to develop and optimize microparticles containing mesalamine and curcumin for targeted treatment of ulcerative colitis. Eudragit S100 and Eudragit RS100 were employed as dual polymers to achieve both pH-dependent and sustained drug release specifically in the colon. The formulation was designed to deliver a low dose of mesalamine along with curcumin as a complementary adjuvant to improve the formulation stability. Microparticles were prepared using the double emulsion solvent evaporation technique, and the formulation process was statistically optimized through a Box–Behnken design, considering polymer ratio, coating strength, and surfactant concentration as key independent variables. The optimized formulation demonstrated uniform particle size distribution, high entrapment efficiency, and optimum drug loading of mesalamine along with curcumin within the polymeric matrix. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis confirmed the molecular dispersion of the drug in the polymer system, indicating successful encapsulation and partial amorphization. The in vitro drug release of mesalamine demonstrated a sustained and controlled.