Role of synbiotics in polysaccharide assisted colon targeted microspheres of mesalamine for the treatment of ulcerative colitis

The present study explains the effect of concomitant administration of synbiotics with the polysaccharide based colon targeted delivery system. As the gut microflora get deranged on administration of mesalamine, drug release from such delivery systems is expected to be jeopardised because the release trigger is dependent solely on the colonic microbiota. To overcome this limitation, mesalamine was formulated as microspheres with guar gum and xanthan gum (prebiotics). These were combined with probiotics containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longumand Saccharomyces boulardi. Dissolution studies of the prepared formulation conducted in simulated colonic fluid clearly demonstrated its superiority over the marketed, delayed release dosage forms of mesalamine. The therapeutic benefit of the concomitant administration of synbiotic with mesalamine was evidenced by the comparative evaluation of faecal contents, weight gain trend and histopathological studies conducted in rats. The results suggest that co-administration of synbiotics with mesalamine can be used as a convenient methodology to achieve efficient and cost-effective targeting of the drug to colon.