Design, Development and Optimization of Gastro Retentive Floating Tablets of Cefixime Trihydrate

The purpose of the research was to design and development of gastro retentive floating tablets of cefixime trihydrate by statistical optimization technique and to investigate the effect of formulation variables on drug release characteristics. Guar gum (viscoelastic agents), sodium alginate (gelling agent) and sodium CMC (channeling agent) were used as independent variables so as to get the optimum formulation by central composite design of response surface methodology taking the parameters time required to release 50 % of drug (t(50) (%)), drug release at 2 h (R-2 h) and mean dissolution time as dependent variables. The observed and predicted response of above three parameters are in good agreement shown the maximum coefficient of determination (R-2). Optimum formulation was found from desirability plot and overlay plot. Least precision was observed when experimental values of the responses were quantitatively compared with predicted values of the optimized formulation. No chemical interaction was observed when FTIR data of pure drug and the optimized formulation (XG21) were compared. From the dissolution data of formulations it was found that all are followed Higuchi's release with a non Fickian diffusion mechanism.