Christian Prud'homme

Delivery systems for controlled release of active materials

Publisher Summary Controlled release of active materials is an important area of research. Controlled-delivery systems offer a number of potential advantages in many fields of applications. The design and the development of a new controlled-release system require a multidisciplinary approach. Polymer and material sciences play an important role. The selection of the formulation and the choice of the fabrication process are critical. In many cases, ingredients used in formulations should satisfy requirements related to toxicity, to biocompatibility and to biodegradation, especially when used in food, in feed, and in medical applications. Various physical and chemical phenomena, such as erosion, swelling, diffusion, dissolution, etc. can be used to trigger and to control the release of the active agent. Theoretical models are available to aid in the application of these phenomena to a specific problem. Zero-order release kinetics (constant release rates) is often desired. A good laboratory evaluation of the products is also needed in the development of controlled-release systems. Good correlations should be made between in-vitro and in-vivo experiments, because the release behavior is often affected by the surrounding medium.