Formulation and evaluation of gastro retentive tablets of clarithromycin prepared by using novel polymer blend

Clarithromycin is a semi synthetic macrolide antibiotic that is proved to be extremely effective mono therapy in treating H. pylori infection. One of the various reasons reported for partial eradication of H. pylori infection is that the short dwelling time of antimicrobial agents in the stomach. Hence the principal object of the present work was to design and develop floating and swellable gastro retentive tablet of clarithromycin to obtain its prolonged release in the stomach. HPMC K 100LV was blended in the present study with the Gel isolated from the seeds of Ocimum basilicum to overcome the drawback of time dependent erosion of former. This novel polymer blend was investigated and exploited as a matrix material for the development of gastro retentive tablets of clarithromycin as drug delivery system. Hydrogen bonding between the Glucomannan – a component of the Gel and HPMC K100LV was envisaged and further confirmed by ATR-FTIR. Tablets of clarithromycin prepared by using the polymer blend of Gel and HPMC K100LV exhibited fast swelling with almost instantaneous buoyancy followed by prolonged release of drug from the swollen, floating dosage form. The retention of the optimized tablet formulation of clarithromycin in the stomach was confirmed by γ scintigraphy.