DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF COMPRESSION COATED TABLET OF METRONIDAZOLE FOR COLON-SPECIFIC DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

The present study aims to formulate colon-targeted drug delivery of metronidazole compression-coated tablets using different ratios of chitosan and pectin. The core tablets of metronidazole (400 mg) were prepared using swellable and pH-dependent polymers like chitosan and pectin, and PVP-K30 was used as a binder. The compression-coated tablets containing chitosan as a polymer released 95-99% of metronidazole in simulated colonic fluid, whereas tablets containing pectin released 94-99% of metronidazole. The stability study for prepared tablets at 40°C/75% relative humidity for 6 weeks showed no significant change in physical appearance, drug content uniformity and in vitro drug release pattern. The result indicates that formulations F4 and F8 were suitable for colonic drug delivery as drug release is maximum compared to other formulations. Keywords: Colon drug delivery system, Chitosan, Pectin, Compression Coating, and Metronidazole