Research Journal of Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Technology

Floating drug delivery system is one of the novel drug delivery system. It has a bulk density less than gastric fluids and thus it remains buoyant in the stomach without affecting gastric emptying rate for a prolonged period of time. Metoclopramide Hydrochloride (MHCl) is a dopamine D2 antagonist that is used as an antiemetic. Floating microspheres of MHCl were prepared by Emulsion solvent evaporation method by using HPMC K4M, HPMC K15M, HPMC K100M, Ethyl cellulose as polymers. The prepared microspheres were evaluated for micromeritic properties, particle size, percentage yield, in vitro buoyancy, incorporation efficiency and in-vitro drug release. From the result it was observed that the concentration of polymer has significant effect on the particle size, percentage yield, in-vitro buoyancy and in-vitro drug release of microspheres; the cumulative drug release with different HPMC grade was found to be HPMC K4M≥HPMC K15M≥HPMC K100M. The micromeritic property was found to be good. Formulation F9 prepared with HPMC K100M: Ethyl cellulose exhibited excellent micromeritic properties, percentage yield, in vitro buoyancy, incorporation efficiency and percentage drug release was 94. 60% for a period of 12 hrs. The data obtained in this study thus suggest that floating microspheres of MHCl are promising for sustained drug delivery, which can reduce dosing frequency.