Abstract

FLOATING MICROSPHERES: A REVIEW

Fmith Celvia Miranda*, Krishnananda Kamath K. and A. R. Shabaraya

ABSTRACT

The real challenge in the development of an oral drug delivery system is not only to sustain the drug release but also to extend the presence of the dosage form within the gastrointestinal tract until all the drug is completely released at the desired period of time. Gastric emptying is a intricate process, one that is highly inconstant and that makes an in vivo performance of drug delivery systems indeterminate. In order to avoid this variability, efforts have been made to develop a controlled drug delivery system which has prolonged residence time in the stomach which can be of great practical importance for actives with an absorption window in the upper small intestine. Floating drug delivery systems (FDDSs) are useful in such applications. These are expected to remain buoyant in a lasting way upon the gastric contents. Many gastroretentive dosage forms are available, comprising tablets, capsules, pills, laminated films, floating microspheres, powders etc. Hollow microspheres are gaining curiosity due to their wide-ranging applicability in directing of drugs to the stomach. They distribute uniformly over the gastric fluid to avoid the vagaries of gastric emptying and release the drug for prolonged period of time. The purpose of this review is to bring together the recent literature with respect to the method of preparation and various other parameters affecting the performance and characterization of floating microspheres.

Keywords: GRDFs, FDDS, Floating Microspheres.