Floating-mucoadhesive beads of clarithromycin for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection.

An objective of the present study was to develop alginate/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) based floating-mucoadhesive beads of clarithromycin to provide prolonged contact time of antibiotic to treat stomach ulcer. Floating-mucoadhesive beads were prepared and characterized for in vitro performance followed by investigation of ex vivo study in albino-wistar rats. Beads were prepared by ionic gelation technique where calcium chloride used as gelating agent and incorporated liquid paraffin for floating of the beads. Prepared beads were evaluated extensively for particle size, drug entrapment; swelling and surface morphology by using scanning electron microscopy. X-ray radioimaging study in rabbits, in vitro mucoadhesion using rat stomach mucosal membrane and in vitro drug release studies were carried out. Ex vivo performance of alginate-HPMC beads were studied using albino rats in comparison to simple alginate-calcium beads. Alginate-HPMC beads may be suitable floating-muco-adhesive drug delivery system for delivering clarithromycin to treat stomach ulcers.