Development of Oral Dissolving Gelatin Beads Containing Allopurinol for the Prevention and Treatment of Mucositis

Oral dissolving gelatin beads (GBs) containing allopurinol (AP) were prepared by the seamless capsule method and their rheological properties were examined. The release profiles of both gelatin and AP from GBs were also investigated in limited dissolution medium. GBs containing AP provided an easy-to-handle dosage form, but the physical strength of the beads immediately decreased upon contact with physiological saline at 37℃. Gelatin was released from the outer layer of GBs in physiological saline, with almost all the gelatin dissolved after 5 min, together with approximately 30% of the AP contained in the inner layer of the GB. The oral administration of GBs likely results in immediate softening of the GB upon contact with saliva. The released AP acts directly at inflammation sites, in a manner similar following oral rinsing with an AP suspension. Therefore, GBs are a useful dosage form for preventing or treating localized problems in the oral cavity, such as mucositis.