Development and Evaluation of Floating Alginate Beads of Esomeprazole

Abstract

The aim of the study was the Development and Evaluation of Floating alginate beads of Esomeprazole. The floating alginate beads of Esomeprazole (F1–F6) were prepared in six different batches using varying concentration of sodium alginate and HPMC K4M using inotropic gelation technique. The floating alginate beads of Esomeprazole (F1–F6) were extensively evaluated. Micrometric properties such as angle of repose, bulk density, tapped density, Carr’s index, and Hausner’s ratio confirmed good flow and packing behavior across all formulations, with F5 exhibiting the most favorable characteristics. The drug entrapment efficiency increased with polymer concentration, reaching a maximum of 87.96 ± 1.05% for F5.Floating lag time decreased with increasing polymer content, with F5 showing the shortest lag time (33.8 ± 1.4 sec).The total floating duration improved significantly with HPMC content, with F5 and F6 maintaining buoyancy for over 12 hours.Particle size analysis revealed a trend of decreasing size with increasing polymer content, with F5 having the smallest average size (190.1 ± 2.3 µm). Additionally, percent yield improved with higher polymer concentrations, with F5 again demonstrating the highest yield (89.62 ± 1.10%).The optimized formulation F5, containing 2% sodium alginate and 1% HPMC K4M, exhibited maximum sustained release (98.26% over 12 hours), balancing matrix stability and drug dissolution