Design and characterization of buccal drug delivery system of losartan potassium

Abstract

Buccal drug delivery has been considered as an alternative to oral dosing of drugs subjected to degradation in the gastrointestinal tract or to hepatic first pass metabol ism. Buccal drug delivery offers a safer mode of drug utilization, since drug absorption can be promply terminated in cases of toxicity by removing the dosage form from the buccal cavity. Losartan potassium is   an angiotensin-II receptor antagonist having lesser bioavailability (25-33%). The aim of the present study is to increase the bioavailability to avoid the hepatic metabolism, using buccal tablets of losartan potassium. Tablets of losartan potassium were prepared by direct compression method using bioadhesive polymers like chitosan, sodium carboxy methyl cellulose and poly vinyl pyrrolidine (PVP) either alone or in combinations with backing layer of ethyl cellulose. Precompression parameters like bulk density, tapped density, compressibility index, hausner’s ratio were evaluated. Post compression parameters like hardness, friability, uniformity of weight, drug content, swelling index, invitro drug release study and kinetics were evaluated. Among all the formulations F5 containing NaCMC was found to be good with better drug release i.e., 93.62% in 9 hours. Kinetic studies were performed and it followed Higuchi release kinetics and was diffusion controlled. FT -IR results proclaimed that there are no interactions between drug and polymers used.