Formulation and Evaluation of Itopride Hydrochloride Floating Beads for Gastroretentive Delivery

Abstract

A gastroretentive sustained release system of itopride hydrochloride was formulated to increase the gastric residence time and modulate its release behavior. Itopride hydrochloride is a prokinetic drug used in the treatment of gastroeosophageal reflux disease, Non-ulcer dyspepsia and as an antiemetic. Hence, itopride hydrochloride beads were prepared by emulsion gelation method by employing low methoxy pectin and sodium alginate as sustained release polymers in three different ratios alone and in combination and sunflower oil was used to enable floating property to the beads. The effect of variation in polymer and their concentration was investigated. The beads were evaluated for production yield, particle size, swelling index, density measurement, buoyancy, drug content, drug entrapment efficiency, in vitro release characteristics and release kinetic study. Based on drug entrapment efficiency, buoyancy, swelling and in vitro release, F9 was selected as the optimized formulation. F9 was further subjected to surface morphology by SEM, in vitro release comparison with marketed formulation, in vivo floating study in rabbits and stability study for 90 days. In vitro release follows zero order and fitted in Korsmeyer peppas model (Non-Fickian release). Therefore, the rate of drug release is due to the combined effect of drug diffusion and polymer swelling. The in vivo X-ray studies revealed that the beads were floating in the rabbit stomach up to 10 hours. Thus, it was concluded that the sustained release formulation containing itopride hydrochloride was found to improve patient compliance, minimize the side effects and decrease the frequency of administration.