Formulation and Characterization of Methyldopa Floating Tablets Using Polymeric Excipients: A Study on Gastroretentive Drug Delivery System

This research aims to develop a novel gastro retentive drug delivery system (GRDDS) that can prolong the drug release of methyldopa. In the present research tablets are prepared by direct compression method using carbapol 934 and HPMC K100M polymer, by the use effervescent (for Formulations F1, F2, F3, and F4) and non-effervescent (F5) technology. One of the medications used to treat hypertension is methyldopa, a sympatholytic drug that acts centrally having short half-life of 2 h. Sedation, nausea, and vomiting are some of the drug's side effects that occur as a result of its frequency of its administration (250 mg two to three times day). Therefore, it would be far more effective to prepare GRDDS of methyldopa to release drug in the gastric environment for an extended duration. F3 is the most effective formulation batch because the combination of polymers HPMC K 100M and carbopol 934 in methyldopa effervescent tablets significantly prolongs the drug release in 0.1N HCl for more than 12 hours with a floating lag time of 60 seconds. The drug release mechanism reveals a new approach to treat hypertension with methyldopa floating tablets by utilising a mixture of HPMC K 100 M and carbopol 934 polymers.