1* Meenakshi College of Pharmacy, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education & Research (MAHER), Thandalam, Chennai-602117, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: lnkarpagavalli@gmail.com (Corresponding Author)
2 Saveetha College of Pharmacy, SIMATS, Thandalam, Chennai-602105, Tamilnadu, India
3 Research Scholar, Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Chennai-602105, Tamilnadu, India
4 School of Pharmacy, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan University, Samayapuram, Trichy-621112, Tamil Nadu, India
5 Mahatma Gandhi College of Pharmacy, Solaiseri, Tirunelveli-627753, Tamil Nadu, India
Floating tablets of Levodopa and Carbidopa were developed using a central composite design to optimize Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC), Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), and Citric Acid for ideal floating behavior and controlled drug release. These tablets were assessed for physical characteristics, buoyancy, drug content uniformity, and in vitro drug release, with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy used to check compatibility. The tablets exhibited desirable physical properties, rapid buoyancy, prolonged floating duration, and sustained drug release over 12 hours. FTIR analysis confirmed compatibility between Levodopa, Carbidopa, and the excipients. Statistical optimization revealed that HPMC significantly affected floating lag time and total floating duration, with higher HPMC concentrations reducing lag time and extending floating duration. NaHCO₃ was found to significantly influence drug release at the 8-hour mark, indicating its role as a key effervescent agent in the formulation. The optimized formulation demonstrated potential for once-daily dosing, enhancing patient compliance by reducing dosing frequency. This study successfully developed floating tablets of Levodopa and Carbidopa with optimized floating behavior and controlled drug release, offering a promising strategy for improved therapeutic outcomes in Parkinson's disease management.
Keywords: Levodopa and Carbidopa, floating tablets, gastric retention, sustained release, polymers
How to cite this article: Karpagavalli L, Sharvesh Ram KB, Padmavathy J, Rameswari S, Magesh M, Brito Raj S, Gunasekaran P, Mugeswaran K. Preparation and Characterization of Floating Tablets of Levodopa and Carbidopa for Gastric Retention. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(5): 245-253. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.5.27
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None