FORMULATIONS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BILAYER TABLETS OF CILNIDIPINE AND TELMISARTAN USING NATURAL POLYMERS
Ravi Kumar Yadav, Sheetal Patel
ABSTRACT
The present study was designed to formulate and evaluate bilayer tablets of Cilnidipine and Telmisartan using natural polymers to achieve a combination of immediate and sustained drug release for effective management of hypertension. Telmisartan was formulated as an immediate-release layer using superdisintegrants such as sodium starch glycolate, croscarmellose sodium, and crospovidone, while Cilnidipine was incorporated into a controlled-release matrix using natural polymers including guar gum and xanthan gum. Pre-compression studies confirmed acceptable flow and compressibility of all powder blends. Post-compression evaluation showed that all formulations complied with pharmacopeial limits for hardness, friability, weight variation, drug content, and thickness. The optimized formulation demonstrated rapid disintegration and immediate drug release of Telmisartan, whereas Cilnidipine exhibited sustained release up to 12 hours. The in vitro release profile confirmed a biphasic drug release pattern, with prompt onset of action from Telmisartan and prolonged antihypertensive effect from Cilnidipine. The study concluded that bilayer tablet technology using natural polymers is an effective approach to improve therapeutic efficacy, reduce dosing frequency, and enhance patient compliance in hypertension management.
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