Development and In-Vitro Evaluation of an HPMC-Based Effervescent Gastroretentive Floating Tablet of Zingiber officinale Extract

Background: Gastro retentive floating systems are designed to remain buoyant in gastric fluid and can provide prolonged release from an oral dosage form. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) contains phenolic constituents, particularly gingerols and shogaols, and has been investigated extensively for its biological and pharmaceutical properties. The present study focused on the formulation and in-vitro evaluation of an effervescent floating tablet containing ginger extract.

Methods: An experimental laboratory-based formulation-development approach was used. Ginger rhizome was subjected to authentication, drying, extraction, phytochemical screening, preformulation evaluation and compatibility assessment. Six trial formulations were developed using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as a hydrophilic matrix former and sodium bicarbonate/citric acid as an effervescent system. The formulations were evaluated for physical tablet characteristics, floating lag time, total floating time, swelling behavior and in-vitro release. Release data were fitted to zero-order, first-order, Higuchi and Korsmeyer–Peppas models.

Results: The reported extraction yield was 12.50%. Preliminary phytochemical screening indicated phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins and terpenoids, with equivocal saponin and negative alkaloid reactions. The powder showed a bulk density of 0.46 g/mL, tapped density of 0.56 g/mL, Carr's index of 17.86%, Hausner ratio of 1.22 and angle of repose of 29.8°. Across F1–F6, floating lag time ranged from 58 ± 4 to 34 ± 2 s and all formulations reportedly floated for more than 12 h. F5 showed a reported hardness of 6.1 ± 0.2 kg/cm², friability of 0.62%, floating lag time of 35 ± 2 s, 100% swelling at 8 h and 90% release at 12 h. The reported kinetic fitting showed the highest R² for the Higuchi model (0.9973).

Conclusion: The findings indicate that the HPMC-based effervescent matrix can serve as a promising platform for developing a ginger-extract floating tablet with prolonged in-vitro buoyancy and controlled release characteristics. Among the developed formulations, F5 exhibited favorable floating behavior, swelling properties and sustained release performance. Further studies are recommended to optimize the formulation and evaluate its long-term stability and in-vivo applicability.

Zingiber officinale; ginger extract; gastroretentive drug delivery; floating tablet; HPMC; effervescent system; controlled release; phytochemical screening

Raja Ramasamy. 2026 “Development and In-Vitro Evaluation of an HPMC-Based Effervescent Gastroretentive Floating Tablet of Zingiber officinale Extract” International Journal of Current Science Research (IJCSR) e-ISSN: 2454-5422: 12(9): 15 – 28.

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