Effect of Pore Forming Agents on the Physical Characteristics and Release Kinetics of Levofloxacin Hemihydrate from Floating Alginate Drug Delivery System - An In Vitro Study

Floating Drug Delivery Systems (FDDS) provides a comprehensive solution for the retention of drug in stomach than the conventional dosage forms. In this study, floating alginate beads were prepared using sodium bicarbonate or potassium carbonate as a gas-forming agent and methyl cellulose as a binder. The effect of pore forming agents on the morphology, porosity, density and drug release kinetics of the beads were studied. Levofloxacin Hemihydrate was used as a model drug for in-vitro studies. The average pore size of the beads was measured using optical microscope which shows the pore size of the beads is in the range of 100 μ m to 300 μ m. The result indicates the better pore forming ability of sodium bicarbonate over potassium bicarbonate hence the potassium carbonate beads shows sustained release than the sodium bicarbonate beads.