Mehul Dekivadia, Avinash Gudigennavar, Chandrashekar Patil, Bhaskar Umarji
Levocetirizine (as Levocetrizine hydrochloride) is a third-generation non-sedative antihistamine, developed from the second-generation antihistamine Cetirizine. Levocetirizine Hcl works by blocking histamine receptors. It does not prevent the actual release of histamine from mast cells, but prevents it binding to its receptors. Fast dissolving tablets of Levocetrizine HCl were prepared using sodium starch glycolate, Croscarmellose sodium and Crosspovidone as superdisintegrants by direct compression method. The tablets prepared were evaluated for various parameters like weight variations, hardness, friability, in vitro dispersion time, drug content, wetting time, in vitro drug release, FTIR and XRD. The tablets prepared by direct compression method possess a weight variation below ±7.5%, hardness of 3 to 4.0 Kg/cm², percentage friability of 0.51 to 0.85, in vitro dispersion time of 17 to 58 seconds, Wetting time of 13 to 48 seconds, and in vitro drug release showed 94% to 99.00% within 20 min. The formulation (MD6) contains Crosspovidone and Sodium Starch Glycolate shows better Disintegration time and 99% drug release within 20 min.
