Abstract
The release behavior of nicotinamide (NAA) from fatty acid (FA)-NAA equimolar complexes was examined in a JP XI dissolution test apparatus in JP XI disintegration test medium No. 1 (pH 1.2) at 37°C where the carbon number of FA is 14-18. The time required for 50% or 80% of NAA to release (T50 or T80) was measured, and the effect of the constituent FA on T50 or T80 was investigated. The values of T50 or T80 for FA-NAA formed with odd-numberd FA were larger than those for FA-NAA formed with even-numbered FA whose alkyl chain length is one more carbon number longer, though the values of T50 of T80 increased rather regularly with an increase of the alkyl chain length for only even-numbered or odd-numbered FA. The values of T50 and T80 for FA-NAA formed with heptadecanoic acid (C17-NAA) were about 36 and 102 min, respectively, suggesting that C17-NAA may be applicable to the preparetion of a sustained-release drug formulation.
