Formulation and Evaluation of Gastro Retentive Floating Drug Delivery System for Propranolol HCl

The aim of the present investigation is to develop and optimize gastroretentive floating drug delivery systems for propranolol HCl. Propranolol HCl is an effective anti hypertensive drug, with a relatively short half life and is freely soluble in water. In the present work, propranolol HCl floating tablets were prepared with PEO WSR N-750 and PEO WSR 301 as release retarding agents and sodium bicarbonate as gas generating agent. Direct compression method was employed for the preparation of tablets; formulated tablets were evaluated for all physicochemical properties, in vitro buoyancy, rate order kinetics and dissolution studies. The optimised formulation was characterised through FTIR studies. From the results, PP 09 was selected as an optimized formulation based on the 12 h drug release, minimal floating lag time and maximum total floating time. The optimized formulation followed zero order rate kinetics with erosion mechanism. The optimized formulation showed no interaction between the drug and the polymers used in the formulation.Key words: Gastroretentive, floating, propranolol HCl, polyethylene oxide, in vitro buoyanc