Preparation of meloxicam spherical agglomerates to improve dissolution rate

Spherical agglomerates of Meloxicam were prepared by simple agglomeration technique using a three solvent system. It includes a good solvent, a poor solvent and a bridging liquid. The selection of solvents depends on miscibility of the solvents and the solubility of drug in individual solvents. Accordingly acetone, water and chloroform are selected as a good solvent, poor solvent and bridging liquid. Chloroform has shown to be highly used in the preparation of spherical crystals. Hence this solvent system is used in the present study. Agglomerates were prepared by agitating the crystals in a liquid suspension and adding a bridging liquid, which wets the crystal surface causing binding. The addition of bridging liquid promotes the formation of liquid bridges between drug crystals. Spherical agglomerates of three different polymers (PVP, Poloxamer and Crosspovidone) and physical mixtures were prepared dried at room temperature. Particle size, saturation solubility, drug content, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) studies and dissolution characteristics were also investigated.