Improving Bioavailability of Cefpodoxime Proxetil by Increasing Retention Time in Stomach with the Help of Natural Polymer: Formulation and Evaluation

Background: Cefpodoxime proxetil is an orally administered, extendedspectrum, semi-synthetic antibiotic of the cephalosporin class. Cefpodoxime proxetil has a short elimination half-life and also possesses high solubility, chemical, enzymatic stability and absorption profiles in acidic pH which makes Cefpodoxime proxetil suitable candidate for formulating it as a gastro retentive dosage form for improved bioavailability. Methods: The formulation of floating tablets of Cefpodoxime proxetil was prepared by the direct compression technique using Pomegranate peel powder as release retarded material. The floating tablets of Cefpodoxime proxetil are prepared by applying design of experiment in that 32 Factorial Design was selected. In vivo gastro-retention of the optimized floating formulation was determined by X-ray imaging studies on healthy rabbits. Results: The F3 Formulation containing Pomegranate peel powder peel powder of 50mg and sodium bicarbonate 100 mg has shown sustained release for 24 hr. The Floating lag time of all the prepared batches was found to be from 49±0.5 to 57±0.5 in sec. The minimum lag time was 49 sec. The in vitro release data of optimized formulation was treated with mathematical equations and was concluded that drug release followed zero-order kinetics with anomalous transport mechanism. In vivo Gastro retention of the optimized formulation F3 determined by X-ray imaging studies on healthy rabbits shows retention of the tablet in stomach for sufficient period of time. Conclusion: The prepared gastro retentive floating tablet formulation using Pomegranate peel powder as rate control polymer shows betterfloating properties and effective gastro retention when Pomegranate peel powder and drug is used in the ration of 1:2.5. Hence CFP floating tablet formulation can be a suitable alternative to immediate release CFP tablets to increase gastric residence time and thereby improving its bioavailability.