Formulation and In-Vitro Characterization of Gastroretentive Effervescent Floating Tablets of Meloxicam

The present study was undertaken to design and evaluate gastro-retentive effervescent floating tablets of meloxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), with the aim of prolonging gastric residence time and achieving controlled drug release. Effervescent floating tablets were prepared using the wet granulation technique, employing polymers such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), sodium alginate, Carbopol 934, and xanthan gum. Sodium bicarbonate and citric acid were incorporated as gas-generating agents to impart buoyancy. Among the investigated polymers, HPMC-based formulations demonstrated favorable floating behavior and sustained drug release characteristics. Dissolution studies indicated that the incorporation of Carbopol 934 with HPMC reduced meloxicam release from 98.1% to 92.9% over 12 h, while the combination of sodium alginate and xanthan gum further decreased drug release to 84.6% at the same time point. Evaluation of physicochemical properties, including hardness, friability, weight variation, buoyancy, and drug content, were within acceptable pharmacopeial limits. Overall, the developed gastro-retentive effervescent floating tablets of meloxicam demonstrated acceptable quality attributes and controlled drug-release performance, indicating their potential for improved gastric retention and therapeutic efficacy.