SUSTAINED-RELEASE MATRIX TABLETS OF ACECLOFENAC: FORMULATION AND IN-VITRO EVALUATION

The objective of this study was to design and evaluate oral sustained drug delivery system for aceclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used for the relief of pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Six batches were prepared using ethanolic solution of Ethyl cellulose (EC), Eudragit RL-100, Eudragit RS-100, and polyvinylpyrrolidone as granulating agents along with hydrophilic matrix material Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC). Matrix tablets were prepared by wet granulation method and were evaluated for thickness, diameter, weight variation, content uniformity, friability, hardness, and in-vitro dissolution. All the tablets formulations showed acceptable physicochemical properties and complied with in-house specifications for tested parameters. Among the formulations studied, formulation F2 (HPMC -to- drug 1:1; ethanolic EC solution as granulating agent) showed sustained release of 76.445%. The kinetic treatment showed that the optimized formulation followed Higuchi kinetics. The ‘n’ value for Korsmeyer’s-Peppas equation was 0.741, indicating that the release was governed by Non-Fickian diffusion.