ABSTRACT:
Aspirin is widely used as an analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and antiplatelet drug; however, conventional dosage forms require frequent administration because of their short duration of action, resulting in fluctuations in plasma drug concentration and reduced patient compliance. The present study aimed to formulate and evaluate sustained-release matrix tablets of aspirin using Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC E15) and Gum Acacia by direct compression technique. The novelty of the present work lies in the development of a sustained-release aspirin formulation using a combination of synthetic polymer (HPMC E15) and natural polymer (Gum Acacia), as limited studies have investigated this combination for aspirin sustained-release tablets. Preformulation studies including organoleptic properties, melting point determination, solubility studies, UV spectrophotometric analysis, calibration curve preparation were carried out. Sustained-release tablets were prepared using different concentrations of HPMC E15 and Gum Acacia and evaluated for pre-compression and post-compression parameters such as angle of repose, bulk density, hardness, thickness, friability, weight variation, and in vitro dissolution studies. All formulations showed acceptable physicochemical characteristics within pharmacopoeial limits. The optimized formulation (F3) exhibited satisfactory tablet properties with hardness of 6.5 kg/cm², friability of 0.47%, and cumulative drug release of 99.4% over 12 hours. The optimized formulation demonstrated sustained drug release behavior. Therefore, HPMC E15 and Gum Acacia can be considered effective matrix-forming polymers for sustained-release aspirin tablets.