Abstract

STUDIES ON SWELLING AND DRUG RELEASE FROM METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE MATRICES CONTAINING DIFFERENT GRADES OF HYDROXYPROPYL METHYL CELLULOSE POLYMERS

Masheer Ahmed Khan*

Abstract

The object of the present study was to evaluate swelling and drug release from the sustained release metformin hydrochloride matrices containing combination of different grades of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Metformin HCL, the only available biguanide, remains the first line drug therapy for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus acts by decreasing hepatic glucose output and peripheral insulin resistance. It has relatively short plasma half life and low absolute bioavailability.Matrices were prepared using combination of HPMCK4M, HPMCK15M and HPMCK100M. The Degree of Swelling and Percent water uptake were determined for the matrices containing different concentrations and combinations. The results indicate that swelling and release profiles were affected by concentration and viscosity grade of the polymer. When the amount of HPMC in the matrix is high, wetting improves and water uptake into matrices is enhanced. The higher amount of HPMC causes a greater degree of swelling this in turn reduces the drug release, as the diffusional path length of drug is now longer. Conversely, reduction in the amount of HPMC reduces the degree of swelling and the thickness of gel layer, this enables faster drug release. Higher viscosity grades swells to greater extent and has greater intrinsic water uptake property than that of the lower viscosity grades. Swelling studies reveals an inverse relationship between swelling and drug release in the sustained release metformin hydrochloride matrices.

Keywords: