Okafo Sinodukoo Eziuzo*, Ikechukwu Ifeoma Love and Alalor Christian
Background: Natural polymers have been found to be affordable, easily available, biocompatible and biodegradable. This study was conducted to formulate and evaluate floating matrix tablets of ciprofloxacin using Sida acuta gum (SAG) as hydrophilic polymer.
Methods: Sida acuta gum was isolated from the dried powdered leaves of Sida acuta plant by isopropyl alcohol precipitation of the filtrate obtained from its maceration in distilled water. The gum obtained was used to formulate ciprofloxacin floating tablets using direct compression technique. The tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, uniformity of content, floating lag time, total buoyancy time, in vitro drug release, kinetics and mechanism of release.
Results: The formulated tablets gave hardness range of 3.80 ± 0.56 to 5.01 ± 0.61; uniformity of content value range from 99 to 106%, friability values obtained range from 0.44 to 2.41%, and formulated tablets had buoyancy time greater than 12 hours, floating lag time values ranged from <1 min to 90 min. Tablets formulated with 20% hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, HPMC (CF4) gave the highest swelling value of almost 5000%. The drug release profile for the floating tablet formulations after 7 h was 110%, 72%, 106%, 46% and 87% for CF1 (20% SAG), CF2 (30% SAG), CF3 (15/15% SAG and HPMC), CF4 (20% HPMC), CF5 (20% Sodium carboxymethylcellulose) respectively.
Conclusion: This study showed that ciprofloxacin floating matrix tablets that have sustained release property could be formulated using Sida acuta gum as the hydrophilic polymer.
