DEVELOPMENT AND IN VITRO EVALUATION OF CONTROLLED RELEASE ORAL FLOATING CAPSULES OF CIPROFLOXACIN HYDROCHLORIDE

The aim of the present investigation was to develop the ciprofloxacin gastroretentive floating capsules by using hydrophilic rate retarding and swellable polymers. The different concentration and combination of Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) and carbopol 947P polymers influenced the release of the drug, the swellable matrix retained in the stomach by imbibing the CO2 gas released. The effervescence of CO2 generated by the sodium bicarbonate and citric acid added in 2.70 - 6.0 and 2.70 - 4.0 % w/w respectively except for formulation F4&F8. Formulation F1-F8 were prepared by adding 27 – 43.86% w/w of HPMC (F1-F4) and same % weight for carbopol swellable polymer (F5-F8). The combination of these polymers was used to prepare F9 & F10 formulation contained with 20.83% w/w of HPMC and carbopol polymers. 2.08 % w/w Sodium carbonate and 4.17% w/w of citric acid for F9 whereas F10 formulation composed of with 30.00% w/w of HPMC and 10.00 % w/w carbopol polymers, 04% w/w Sodium carbonate and 06% w/w of citric acid. The floating capsules evaluated for weight variation, content uniformity showed the acceptable results as per standards. In vitro gastric buoyancy was acceptable for the selected formulations, the order of drug released was as follows for the selected formulations F4>F10 >F9>F3>F8>F7. The optimized F9 formulation showed (70.85% drug release within 12 hours) with non –Fickian diffusion release pattern as per the applied release kinetic models. Further XRD studies revealed compatibility for the drug and polymers used in the optimized formulation F9. Thus F9 floating capsules could be a model for sustained release of the ciprofloxacin from the narrow absorption window in the stomach thereby achieving the maximum antibacterial activity and patient compliance. Keywords: Swellable, Floating, Ciprofloxacin, Buoyancy study, Release Kinetics.