This study is purposed to develop the sustained release and bioavailability of piracetam (PA). The use of alginate beads as a means to achieve sustained release of piracetam was evaluated in comparison with that of piracetam alone. In the PA-sodium alginate(SA) beads was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry thermogram(DSC), indicating a relative shift of an endometric peak of PA to higher temperature. The changes in dissolution rates from PA-SA beads and PASA beads coated by chitosan(CHO) were significantly slower than that of intact PA. The release rate of PA-SA in the gastric fluid was markedly decreased compared with that in the intestinal fluid, suggesting that PA is mostly released in the intestinal fluid. However, the PA/SA ratio scarcely affected the release profile. The blood concentration- time curves of PA, PA-SA and PA-SA-CHO were obtained by oral administration to rats. $T_{max}$ of PA, PA-SA and PA-SA-CHO were 1, 10 and 6 hours, respectively. It was confirmed that the release of PA was prolonged by the formulation of PA-SA beads and PA-SA-CHO beads.