Formulation and Evaluation of Floating Microballoons of Ibuprofen for the Enhanced Enteric Bioavailability

The present study involves the preparation and evaluation of hollow microspheres (microballoons) of ibuprofen by novel emulsion-solvent diffusion method in an attempt to improve the drug enteric bioavailability by prolonging the gastric residence time. Microspheres were prepared by pouring ethanol, DCM solution of the drug and Eudragit RL100 in to an agitated aqueous solution of PVA that was thermally controlled at 40.c. The resulting microspheres were separated by filtration and subjected to various evaluations like micromeritic properties, Morphology study, invitro floating behavior, % drug entrapment and invitro drug release. The micromeritic properties showed the improved physical characteristic of the formulation (F4) over the pure drug. Invitro buoyancy studies showed that prepared microballoons floated continuously over the surface of acidic dissolution media containing surfactant for greater than 12hr. Invitro release studies showed that the formulation (F4) does not show drug release in simulated gastric buffer and the same shows slow and controlled drug release of about 70–80% over a period of 6hr in simulated intestinal medium which proved the enteric release property of microballoons. From the study it may be concluded that microballoons were found to be an ideal device for prolonging residence time of drug in stomach to enhance the enteric bioavailability.