DOI: 10.36347/sajp

Pages: 199-208

The main objective of this present research work is to achieve sustained release of Glimepiride and to enhance the gastrointestinal residence time, for this purpose mucoadhesive microbeads were formulated by employing Ionic gelation method with HPMC and NaCMC as coating polymers. Formulated mucoadhesive microbeads were properly evaluated for size distribution, tapped density entrapment efficiency, wall thickness, drug release studies, SEM and GI residence time. In this present research influence of polymer on rate of drug release and concentration of polymer coat on rate of drug release from the Glimepiride mucoadhesive microbeads were studied. The rate of drug release was found to be decreased by increasing the concentration of the coat polymer. The rate of drug release was found to be less for mucoadhesive microbeads formulated by NaCMC than compared to mucoadhesive microbeads formulated by HPMC. The mucoadhesive microbeads prepared with HPMC and Glimepiride in 1:9 ratio shown prolonged drug release up to 12 hours. The release follows first order kinetics and mechanism of drug release was found to be governed by diffusion mechanism.