Development and Characterization of The Celecoxib Matrix Tablet

The purpose of the present investigation was to prepare and evaluate sustained release matrix tablets of Celecoxib using hydrophilic/(Pullulan, Xanthan Gum) and hydrophobic (Chitosan) polymers for prolonged drug release and enhancing its therapeutic efficacy. Tablets were formulated using direct compression method and characterized for various pre- and post-compression parameters, drug content uniformity, swelling index ad in vitro drug release. The pre-compression studies showed good flow properties of the formulations with low polymer ratios but close to the pharmacopeial limits, mechanical strength and uniformity were observed in post-compressed parameters. In vitro dissolution studies of Celecoxib were found to be highly dependent on type as well as concentration of polymer. The formulation F1 (Pullulan-based) showed faster release, however formulation with Xanthan Gum and Chitosan resulted in prolonged release by formation of gel retention and matrix integrity. The zero-order kinetic plot yielded best fitting to data for all the batches; however, F4 (40 mg Pullulan and 80 mg Xanthan gum) showed maximum correlation coefficient R² value of 0.999, indicating concentration-independent kinetics with 84% drug release at the end of 8 hours. The kinetic study showed that the release mechanism was varied between first order and Higuchi and Peppas models depending on polymer composition, while F4 experienced the most controlled release. The optimized pullulan-xanthan blend was found to be effective in modulating the drug release and erosion, suggesting its potential for designing sustained-release celecoxib formulations with easier dosing schedule and improved patient compliance.