Microsponge Embedded Tablets for Sustained Delivery of Nifedipine

Title:Microsponge Embedded Tablets for Sustained Delivery of Nifedipine

Volume: 5 Issue: 3

Author(s): Rahul Maheshwari, Piyoosh Sharma, Muktika Tekade, Umesh Atneriya, Kamal Dua, Philp M. Hansbro and Rakesh K. Tekade*

Affiliation:

• National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) – Ahmedabad, Department of Pharmaceutics, Opposite Air Force Station Palaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355,India

Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases, dissolution, drug loading, microsponge drug delivery, microsponge entrapped tablet, nifedipine microsponges, sustained release.

Abstract: Background: Nifedipine is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of cardiovascular disturbances, although it suffers from short half-life (t1/2, 2 hr).

Objective: To address the problem, we first prepared nifedipine loaded sustained release microsponges and then formulated tablets for effective clinical application and patient compliance.

Method: Preparations of microsponges were carried out using different compositions of nifedipine and polymer (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 % molar ratio) using emulsion solvent diffusion technique.

Results: The microsponges with molar ratio 1:3 (formulation code: MF-3) found optimized as revealed by analyzing surface morphology, better powder flow properties (angle of repose; 28.80 ± 0.9, Hausner ratio 1.15 ± 0.2, % compressibility 15.28 ± 0.5% and higher % drug content (80 ± 1.9 %). Different batches of tablets were then formulated incorporating MF-3 microsponges and different proportions (10-50 %) of microcrystalline cellulose and starch as additives. Among tablet formulations, batch composed of 48% of MF-3, 30% of MCC, 20 % of starch and 2 % of talc (TF-33), showed 92.73 ± 2.19 % drug release during 24 hr in vitro release study in comparison to other batches including commercial formulation which was found to be released completely in 20 hr. Further, stability analysis revealed good drug retention of loaded nifedipine as well as consistent in vitro release pattern over a period of 90 days at 40°C and 75% RH.

Conclusion: The microsponge tablet delivery system was found to be superior concerning the therapeutic advantage as well as manufacturing feasibility of nifedipine.

Cite this article as:

Maheshwari Rahul , Sharma Piyoosh, Tekade Muktika, Atneriya Umesh , Dua Kamal , Hansbro M. Philp and Tekade K. Rakesh*, Microsponge Embedded Tablets for Sustained Delivery of Nifedipine, Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology 2017; 5 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/2211738505666170921125549