Novel Curcumin Floating Tablets for Spatial Delivery in Peptic Ulcer

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Natural Product Therapeutics

Background:

• Peptic ulcers are commonly treated with drugs that have side effects.
• Curcumin shows therapeutic potential but suffers from poor solubility and instability.
• Novel drug delivery systems are needed to enhance curcumin's efficacy for peptic ulcer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative drug delivery system to overcome curcumin's bioavailability limitations.
• To formulate effervescent, gastroretentive tablets for sustained gastric retention and localized curcumin release.

Main Methods:

• Curcumin solubility was enhanced through complexation with methyl-β-cyclodextrin.
• Effervescent, gastroretentive tablets were formulated using hypromellose and gas-generating agents.
• Tablet properties, gastroretention, and in vitro drug release were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Tablets met pharmaceutical standards for hardness, friability, and drug content.
• Tablets achieved rapid flotation (within 20s) and sustained buoyancy for ~16 hours.
• In vitro studies showed sustained drug release (73.92% in 9h) via quasi-Fickian diffusion.

Conclusions:

• A novel floating tablet system effectively enhances curcumin delivery for peptic ulcer management.
• The system utilizes cyclodextrin complexation and gastroretentive properties for improved bioavailability.
• This approach holds promise for addressing unmet needs in peptic ulcer treatment.