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An enteric coating, also known as a gastro-resistant coating, is a barrier applied to an oral medication that controls the location in the digestive tract where it is absorbed. The term “enteric” refers to the small intestine; Therefore, the intestinal coating prevents the drug from breaking down before it reaches the small intestine.
Enteric coating is used when the drug substance is inactivated or destroyed by gastric acid secretion, or when the gastric mucosa is particularly irritated, or when gastric bypass substantially increases drug absorption.
The primary method of preparing enteric-dosage forms involved treating gelatin capsules or shellac-containing tablets with formalin. Both of these methods were unreliable since membrane solubility (which accounts for enteric effects) could be unpredictable.
Modern intestinal linings are usually made of synthetic polymeric materials often called polyacids. These polymers contain ionizable functional groups that make them soluble in water at a specific pH value.
