Substituted amylose as a matrix for sustained drug release.

Amylose derivatives form an important group of polymers, and many of them can be used as drug sustained-release systems. Substituted amylose can be prepared in a 1-step reaction with substituent(s) in a basic medium. The substituents can be represented as (A-R), where (A) serves an epoxy, halide or suitable organic or inorganic function reacting with hydroxyl groups located on the amylose chain, and (R) is an organic radical. The present work shows the synthesis of different polymers and the effect of different (A) and/or (R) and their different degrees of substitution (n) on the sustained drug release from matrix tablets prepared by direct compression. SA polymers are interesting excipients for the preparation of controlled drug release tablets.