DESIGN AND IN VITRO EVALUATION OF A GASTRORETENTIVE FLOATING DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR ONDANSETRON

Anmulwad Babu Yamnaji*, Jakkalwar Shital Madhavrao, Asha Subhashrao Chopde, Thakursing Dinesh Pawar and Dr. Shoheb Shaikh

ABSTRACT

The present study aims to develop and evaluate a gastroretentive floating drug delivery system (GRDDS) for Ondansetron, a selective 5-HT₃ receptor antagonist widely used in the prevention of nausea and vomiting. The formulation addresses the limitations of Ondansetron’s short biological half-life and moderate oral bioavailability by prolonging its gastric residence time and enabling sustained drug release. Floating tablets were prepared using a wet granulation method with sodium bicarbonate and citric acid as gas-generating agents and various polymers including HPMC K4M, Ethyl Cellulose, Eudragit RL-100, and Hydroxypropyl Cellulose (HPC). Seven formulations (F1–F7) were evaluated for pre- and post-compression parameters such as hardness, friability, swelling index, drug content, buoyancy time, and in vitro drug release profiles. Among all formulations, F7, comprising HPMC K4M and HPC, demonstrated optimal floating behavior (>12 hours), controlled drug release, and desirable physicochemical properties. The study concludes that floating drug delivery systems offer a promising approach for improving the therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance of Ondansetron.

Keywords: Ondansetron, gastroretentive drug delivery system, floating drug delivery system, controlled drug release, HPMC K4M, hydroxypropyl cellulose, Eudragit RL-100, ethyl cellulose, buoyancy, swelling index, in vitro drug release, wet granulation.