Abstract
In this study, boric acid (BA) is employed as a crosslinking agent to improve the characteristics of two commonly used polymeric films, ethyl cellulose (EC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), for topical drug delivery applications. The developed films are characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and SEM analysis. The results show that the surfaces of the prepared films are even and transparent, except for the BA-modified EC sample. The initial cumulative release for erythromycin (EM) is found to be 0.30 and 0.36 mg/mL for EC and PVA films, which drops to 0.25 and 0.20 mg/mL after BA crosslinking, respectively, after 1 h at 25 °C. Further, the developed formulations are stable for 75 days. Also, the antibacterial activity of the developed formulations is investigated against S. aureus (ATCC® 25923™ and ATCC® 29213™). The obtained data confirm that the application of BA as the crosslinking agent extends the release of EM from EC and PVA polymeric films. The findings of this study suggest that BA-crosslinked EC and PVA films are promising carriers for controlled topical drug delivery applications.
Highlights
In recent years, drug delivery systems (DDSs) have been widely investigated by researchers owing to their numerous advantages, such as minimizing the side effects of drugs, better targeting, and cost-effectiveness [1]
The PB-EM.f film had a comparatively smooth surface texture, which showed that boric acid (BA) was scattered homogenously, improving the surface integrity
In the current study, BA-crosslinked Ethyl cellulose (EC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films were developed for topical drug delivery
Summary
Drug delivery systems (DDSs) have been widely investigated by researchers owing to their numerous advantages, such as minimizing the side effects of drugs, better targeting, and cost-effectiveness [1]. EC has desirable solubility in different organic solvents and is miscible with various water-soluble materials It has excellent film-forming, filling, and adhesive capabilities, promoting its application in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, especially as packaging material, coating, and encapsulating agents [7,8,9].Contrary to EC, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a hydrophilic synthetic polymer with a linear and flexible structure. Being approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA), PVA has widespread applications in cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. It is known as a versatile carrier in sustained drug release systems in terms of various fibers, gels, and films due to its distinctive characteristics [10]. High moisture absorption and low mechanical strength hindered its application as a protective barrier [11,12,13,14]
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