FORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ORAL CONTROLLED RELEASE TABLET FOR ANTI- HYPERTENSIVE DRUG USING NATURAL POLYMERS
Priya Parmal, Arti Solanki, Dr. S. Nayak
ABSTRACT
The present study focuses on the development and evaluation of oral controlled release floating tablets of Losartan potassium using natural polymers to enhance therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance in the management of hypertension. Controlled drug delivery systems are designed to release drugs at a predetermined rate by maintaining a constant drug level in the body, thereby reducing dosing frequency and minimizing side effects. Losartan, a selective angiotensin II receptor antagonist, has a short half-life and poor bioavailability due to extensive first-pass metabolism, making it an ideal candidate for gastroretentive drug delivery systems (GRDDS). In this formulation study, various natural polymers such as xanthan gum, guar gum, and chitosan were used to prepare floating matrix tablets using the direct compression method. The prepared formulations were evaluated for pre-compression parameters (bulk density, compressibility index, Hausner’s ratio), post-compression parameters (hardness, friability, weight variation, thickness, and drug content), buoyancy characteristics, and in-vitro drug release profiles. Among the nine formulations (F1–F9), formulation F6 showed the most desirable characteristics, including short floating lag time (40±5 sec), prolonged total floating duration (>12 h), and sustained drug release (99.05% over 12 hours). Drug release kinetics of the optimized formulation followed first-order and Peppas models, indicating a combination of diffusion and polymer erosion mechanisms. These findings demonstrate that natural polymers can be successfully utilized to develop an effective gastroretentive controlled release system for Losartan, thereby improving its therapeutic potential and patient adherence.
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