DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL GASTRORETENTIVE RAFT FORMING FLOATING FILM OF ATENOLOL

The aim of present work was to develop a gastroretentive floating raft forming film of atenolol using solvent casting technique. The films were characterized in terms of drug-excipient compatibility by FTIR, drug content, swelling, folding endurance, thermal behaviour by DSC, effect of processing parameters on drug state (amorphous or crystalline) by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and in vitro drug release profiles. The results confirm that there was no interaction between the drug-polymers and fusion of drug crystals within the polymer matrix. Results of XRD indicate partial dissolution of drug within the polymer matrix and suggested it was partly distributed in amorphous form throughout the film. The weight variation, thickness and folding endurance of films were in the range of 2.170 ± 0.05 to 2.444 ± 0.23 gm, 1.120 ± 0.032 to 1.125 ± 0.011 mm and 200 ± 5 to 400 ± 5, respectively. The pH values of the different films were between 6.8 to 7.21. After 24 h, the best selected film shows 75% and 90% of drug release in 0.1 N HCl (pH 1.2) and in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8), respectively. Based on these results it is suggested that the incorporation of drug into the hydrophilic floating film may be an appropriate strategy to improve the dissolution profile and oral bioavailability of the drug.