DEVELOPMENT, STATISTICAL OPTIMIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FLOATING ALGINATE BEADS OF NITROFURANTOIN

The present study focuses on the formulation of floating beads of Nitrofurantoin to achieve sustained release, thereby enhancing patient compliance, especially for individuals who struggle to take the dose at regular intervals. Nitrofurantoin is a commonly used antibacterial agent for urinary tract infections, belonging to BCS Class II, characterized by poor aqueous solubility and a short half-life (0.5- 1hours). The floating beads were formulated by using sodium alginate, HPMC K100 and Carbopol 934 as polymers, and calcium chloride as cross-linking agent by the emulsion gelation technique. The compatibility of the drug and polymers were assessed using the FTIR technique. The particle size was analyzed usingoptical microscope. The developed beads were assessed for physical properties, swelling index, entrapment efficiency, buoyancy studies, in-vitro drug release and release kinetics. The formulation remains buoyant for 12 hours, and all thirteen formulations exhibited enhanced drug release. Among the formulations, optimized formulation showed entrapment efficiency of 95.51% and in vitro drug release of 98.86%. The optimized beads follow first order kinetics showing sustained release up to 12 hours. Stability testing over three months under accelerated conditions revealed no significant changes in the optimized formulation. Overall, the study concludes that the nitrofurantoin-loaded floating beads can be effectively developed to provide sustained release and reduce the frequency of dosing.