Novel Compounding Approach to Floating Alginate Microbeads for Glipizide: Influence of Polymer Matrix on Swelling, Buoyancy, and Drug Release Kinetics.

Abstract

Background: A BCS class II medication, glipizide has a short half-life and limited solubility; frequent dosage is necessary for efficient glycemic management. A compounding-based gastroretentive drug delivery method employing floating alginate microbeads for prolonged release was created to circumvent these limitations.

Methods: Sodium alginate was used in the ionic gelation process to create floating microbeads, which were then refined by adjusting the quantities of polymers and crosslinkers. The formulations were evaluated for buoyancy, swelling behavior, entrapment efficacy, particle size, and in vitro drug release. Release data were fitted into kinetic models (Zero-order, First-order, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer-Peppas) in order to determine the mechanism of drug release.

Results: Every formulation demonstrated acceptable floating capacity and physicochemical characteristics. With great entrapment efficiency, outstanding buoyancy for more than 12 hours, and a total drug release of 98.86% at 12 hours, formulation F9 outperformed the others. According to kinetic modeling, F9 best matched the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (R2 = 0.998, n = 0.71), suggesting that both diffusion and polymer relaxation/erosion are responsible for anomalous (non-Fickian) release.

Conclusion: According to the study, floating alginate microbeads made using a compounding-based method provide a potentially effective gastroretentive substrate for Glipizide's prolonged release. This approach may improve patient compliance, extend the therapeutic effect, and increase bioavailability. To support the in vitro results, more in vivo research is advised.