Fluvastatin sodium is a novel compound used as cholesterol lowering agent which acts through the
inhibition of 3- hydroxyl-3- methyl glutaryl- coenzyme A (HMG-Co A) reductase. It has short biological
half life (1-3h) in humans required a dosing frequency of 20 to 40mg twice a day. Due to its short variable
biological half life it has been developed to a sustained gastroretentive system with a natural and synthetic
polymer and to study how far the natural mucilage improves the sustained activity. Floating tablets were
prepared by direct compression method using in combination of natural mucilage and synthetic polymer.
Prior to the preparation of tablets the physical mixtures were subjected to FT IR studies and pre
compression parameters. After preparation of tablets they were subjected to various tests like swollen
index, drug content, In vitro dissolution and release kinetics with pcp disso software etc. The tablets
prepared by direct compression shown good in thickness, hardness and uniformity in drug content, the
prepared tablets floated more than 12h except FS1 and FS2 shows 9 and 11h. Swollen index studies shows
with increase in concentration of polymer the swelling increases the diffusion path length by which the
drug molecule may have to travel and cause lag time. In vitro results shows that on increasing the amount
of hibiscus polymer the sustain activity is increased because of its integrity and forms a thick swollen
mass and reduces the erosion property of the HypromelloseK100M, kinetic studies shows that FS 1, FS2,
FS3 followed the Korsmeyer peppas model and the rest FS 4, FS 5, FS6 follows the zero order
respectively. Based on n value indicating that the drug release followed super case II transport mechanism
due to the erosion of the polymer.
