An Analysis Comparing the Gastrointestinal Transit of Two Different Formulations—Pellets and Tablet

Abstract

The oral formulations of pellets and tablets are compared and evaluated in this study to determine how long it takes for the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to move through the body. A total of eight participants took part in the research, and each of them was given both formulations. Gastric emptying (MGET), small intestine transit (MSITT), colon transit (MCTT), and total transit time (MTTT) were the four stages at which the times of gastrointestinal transit were measured that were taken into consideration. The findings demonstrated that pellets have a significantly shorter time required for the stomach to empty (4.8 hours) in comparison to tablets (8.5 hours), which indicates that pellets are more quickly released from the stomach. On the other hand, pellets had a significantly longer colon transit time (29.5 hours) than tablets did (16.3 hours), which resulted in pellets having a longer total gastrointestinal transit time (36.2 hours) compared to tablets (27.4 hours). Despite the fact that pellets are able to pass through the colon more slowly, they are able to pass through the stomach more quickly, according to the findings that were confirmed by the analysis of individual subject data. Based on these distinct transit profiles, it appears that pellets have a higher initial absorption rate, but they may also result in a longer residence time in the gastrointestinal tract, which could potentially affect the overall effectiveness of the drug and the patient's level of comfort.