Design, Development and Evaluation of Natural Polymer Based Matrix Systems for the Controlled Delivery of Repaglinide in Diabetes Management

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyper glycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Oral antidiabetic drugs remain the cornerstone of therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus however, conventional immediate release formulations often suffer from short biological half lives, frequent dosing requirements, fluctuating plasma drug concentrations, and reduced patient compliance. Repaglinide, a meglitinide class antidiabetic drug, exhibits rapid onset of action and a short elimination half life, necessitating multiple daily dosing prior to meals. These pharmacokinetic limitations make repaglinide a suitable candidate for controlled drug delivery systems.The present research focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of natural polymer based matrix tablets of repaglinide aimed at achieving sustained and controlled drug release, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy and patient adherence. Matrix tablets were formulated using natural polymers such as guar gum, xanthan gum, and other biodegradable polysaccharides, selected for their biocompatibility, safety, and cost effectiveness. Tablets were prepared by wet granulation direct compression techniques and evaluated for pre compression and post compression parameters, including flow properties, hardness, friability, weight variation, drug content, and in vitro dissolution behavior. In vitro drug release studies were conducted using USP dissolution apparatus, and release kinetics were analyzed using zero order, first order, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer Peppas models to elucidate the drug release mechanism. Stability studies were performed under accelerated conditions to assess formulation robustness. The optimized formulation demonstrated sustained drug release over an extended period with acceptable physicochemical properties, following diffusion controlled and anomalous transport mechanisms. This study concludes that natural polymer based matrix systems offer a promising approach for controlled oral delivery of repaglinide in diabetes management. Km Mansi | Mr. Hakim Singh Rajput "Design, Development and Evaluation of Natural Polymer-Based Matrix Systems for the Controlled Delivery of Repaglinide in Diabetes Management" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-9 | Issue-6 , December 2025, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd99976.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/pharmacy/pharmaceutics/99976/design-development-and-evaluation-of-natural-polymerbased-matrix-systems-for-the-controlled-delivery-of-repaglinide-in-diabetes-management/km-mansi