Enteric coating is a cycle wherein a layer of polymer is applied to the oral solid dosage forms to safeguard the medication discharge in the acidic climate of the stomach and to deliver the medication at an alkaline pH in the small digestive system. The word enteric is connected with the digestive tract and its importance is inside the digestive tract or influencing the digestive tract so the enteric coating is any kind of coating that guarantees drug discharge in the digestive system. The essential component or rule of enteric coating is pH subordinate. The dissolvability of enteric-coated polymer relies upon the pH, so for enteric coating, we utilize those polymers or material which are steady at acidic pH and doesn't break up, to shield the medications from acidic climate. The polymers utilized for enteric coating break up effectively at essential pH so the medication is delivered at the alkaline pH of the digestive tract.
The enteric coating can be done on tablets, pellets, and granules.
Why Enteric Coating?
1. To protect the drugs from acidic degradation in the stomach.
2. Enteric coating enhances the bioavailability of acid-labile drugs.
3. Some drugs may result in stomach ulcers so these drugs are coated with an enteric coat.
4. Gastric irritations may result in nausea and vomiting so the drugs which may cause gastric irritations are enteric-coated.
5. Enteric-coated medicines protect the mucosal layer of the stomach.
6. Enteric coating is used to modify or alter the release of drugs meaning it is released in the small intestine instead of the stomach.
7. Enteric-coated medicines are used to deliver the maximum concentration of drugs in the small intestine.
Disadvantages Of Enteric Coating
1. The enteric coating process expands the expense of the item since really covering material is expected for intestinal covering when contrasted with the film covering.
2. Additional time is expected for coating activity.
3. The enteric coating requires gifted administrators.
4. Enteric-coated tablets cannot be squashed or separated.
So, the following materials can be used as an enteric coating material,
- Cellulose Acetate Trimellitate (CAT)
- Acrylates
- HydroxyPropyl Methylcellulose Phthalate (HPMCP)
- Polyvinyl Acetate Phthalate (PVAP)
- Shellac
- Sodium Alginate
- Zein
Step-by-step instructions to Take Enteric Coated Tablets
1. Enteric coated tablets are gulped down as an entire with water.
2. No squashing or parting of E.C tablets into parts is suggested since supposing that we break the tablets the defensive enteric coating layer will be harmed and the center or uncoated tablet will be uncovered.
3. This uncovered surface when it interacts with acidic pH begins dissolving in view of the shortfall of a defensive enteric layer.
4. So consistently take enteric-coated prescriptions all in all, not in broken parts.
