DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FLOATING MICROSPHERES FOR ORAL DELIVERY OF CEFIXIME

Abstract

Cefixime, a broad spectrum antibiotic has a short biological half-life and needs frequent dosing resulting in increased side effects. The objective of this study is to produce floating microspheres of Cefixime by solvent evaporation technique to increase entrapment capacity and sustained release. The prepared microspheres were characterized by percentage yield, particle size distribution, floating character, entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug release behaviour, scanning electron microscopy. The prepared floating microspheres were found to be discrete, spherical and free flowing. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic analysis shows the observation, that there is no interaction between the drug and other polymers. SEM studies showed that the microspheres were spherical and smooth surface. The floating behaviour of microspheres was found to be positive. The drug loaded microspheres showed 61.84% - 81.6% entrapment efficiency. Release of Cefixime from microspheres was studied in pH 1.2 using paddle type dissolution apparatus. From the release exponent in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (n >1), it can be suggested that the mechanism of release of cefixime from floating microspheres was said to be non-fickian super case II model release.