Design, development, and evaluation of enteric coated tablets of Ciprofloxacin using different polymers

Abstract

Ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic widely used for the treatment of bacterial infections; however, its conventional oral dosage forms are often associated with gastric irritation and non-targeted drug release in the stomach. The present study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate enteric coated tablet formulations of Ciprofloxacin to achieve gastric protection and targeted intestinal drug release. Core tablets were prepared by the wet granulation method and subsequently coated with different pH-dependent enteric polymers. Preformulation studies confirmed the identity, purity, and compatibility of Ciprofloxacin with selected excipients. Core tablets were evaluated for micromeritic and post-compression parameters, while enteric coated tablets were assessed for acid resistance, disintegration behavior, and in-vitro dissolution. All enteric coated formulations exhibited complete resistance in acidic medium and rapid drug release in phosphate buffer pH 6.8. Among the tested polymers, methacrylic acid copolymer–based coatings showed superior performance with faster intestinal disintegration and higher drug release. Accelerated stability studies demonstrated good stability of the optimized formulation. The study concludes that enteric coating is an effective strategy to improve the oral delivery of Ciprofloxacin by minimizing gastric exposure and ensuring targeted intestinal release.