Abstract

PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF MICROSPHERES OF NATURAL GUMS CONTAINING AN ANTI-VIRAL DRUG

Abdul Nasir Kurnool, Jasti Harika* and Akshatha R.S

ABSTRACT

The current study concern with the preparation and evaluation of microspheres of natural occurring xanthan gum and guar gum in the view of effectiveness, biodegradable, easy of availability, cost effectiveness and drug release rate controlling agent with Lamivudine as model drug. Lamivudine is an active anti-retroviral drug having biological half life of 4-6 hours and 86% bioavailability and licensed for the treatment of HIV and chronic Hepatitis B. Compatibility study was carried out by using FTIR at the range of 800cm-1 to 3800cm-1 and shows no significant change in the characteristic peaks of Lamuvidine and excipients in all the formulation. Microspheres of Lamuvidine were prepared by solvent evaporation technique using xanthan gum and guar gum as rate controlling agent. In-vitro drug release rate was carried out by USP dissolution rate apparatus type-II and data was subjected to various kinetic models. Microspheres thus obtained were found to be pale yellow color and free flowing. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies inferred the spherical shape and size range of 100μm to 200μm for the total of 9 formulations. In-vitro drug release shows decreases as concentration of xanthan gum increases and release rate was zero order and Fickian diffusion controlled. Stability studies were carried out which indicate that selected formulation was stable. From the results, we conclude that microspheres offer a practical and suitable approach to prepare controlled release of Lamuvidine with natural occurring xanthan gum as rate controlling agent to enhance bioavailability and reduction in dose frequency.

Keywords: Lamivudine, natural gums, solvent evaporation, oral controlled drug delivery.