DEVELOPMENT AND IN VITRO EVALUATION OF AN ORAL FLOATING TABLET OF METRONIDAZOLE

The present study was undertaken with an aim to develop and evaluate gastroretentive floating tablets of Metronidazole that are designed to retain in the stomach for a long time and have developed as a drug delivery system for better eradication of Helicobacter Pylori in peptic ulcer diseases. The floating tablets of Metronidazole were made by direct compression method using polymer Carbopol 934 and sodium bicarbonate and citric acid as gas generating agent. The tablets were evaluated by pre and post compression parameters such as weight variation, thickness, friability, hardness, drug content, in- vitro buoyancy studies and in-vitro dissolution studies and results were within the limits. Hardness was found to be in the range of 7.6 ± 0.27 kg/ cm² to 7.9 ± 0.35 kg/cm², the percent friability was in the range of 0.48% to 0.52% w/w and the tablets showed 94% to 97% uniformity in drug content. The in-vitro dissolution studies were carried out in a USP type- II apparatus in 0.1N HCl. The formulations were able to within 2-7 minutes and showed buoyancy >12 hrs. The drug-polymer ratio, viscosity grades of Carbopol 934 and gas generating agents were found to influence the release of drug and floating characteristics from the prepared floating drug delivery system of Metronidazole. Kinetically, among the 4 assessed models the release pattern of Metronidazole from the tablets fitted best to Higuchi’s and zero order indicated that diffusion is the predominant mechanism controlling the drug release. Keywords: Metronidazole, Floating tablets, Carbopol 934, Gastroretentive, Dissolutio