ethyl-cellulose and methylparaben

There has been relatively little investigation of the effect of temperature on skin permeation compared to other methods of penetration enhancement. A principal physicochemical factor which controls the passive diffusion of a solute from a vehicle into the skin arises from the skin temperature. The aim of this ex vivo study was to probe into the effect of heat on transdermal absorption of alfuzosin hydrochloride from ethyl cellulose-polyvinyl pyrrolidone (EC-PVP) based transdermal systems.. Principles of design of experiment (DoE) were used to systematically study the influence of temperature on transdermal permeation of alfuzosin. Ex vivo transdermal permeation studies were carried out at varied donor compartment temperatures. Permeation data analysis was carried out and activation energy for transdermal permeation was estimated.. Temperature found to enhance ex vivo permeation parameters of alfuzosin hydrochloride from its transdermal systems. It was also noted that chemical permeation enhancers potentiate permeation enhancing effect of temperature. The permeation flux values approximately doubled after exposure to 45°C. The activation energy for transdermal permeation was found lower for the runs with chemical permeation enhancers indicating existence of a lower energy barrier in the presence of chemical permeation enhancers.. The method reported here is a simple and useful tool for studying the effect of heat on percutaneous absorption. Such temperature dependent enhancement of flux can be more pronounced at skin surface temperatures >45°C.

Topics: Absorption, Physicochemical; Administration, Cutaneous; Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists; Cadaver; Caffeine; Cellulose; Epidermis; Hot Temperature; Humans; Membranes, Artificial; Parabens; Permeability; Pharmaceutical Vehicles; Quinazolines; Solubility; Urological Agents

Among thymol, carvacrol, citronellal, eugenol and terpinen-4-ol, thymol showed the highest antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thymol was then encapsulated into water dispersible submicron sized ethylcellulose/methylcellulose spheres, attaining the relatively high thymol loading level of 43.53% (weight of encapsulated thymol to weight of the thymol-loaded spheres). When tested against the same three bacterial strains, the encapsulated thymol gave comparable minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values to the unencapsulated compound while mostly showing lower MIC and MBC values than the conventionally used preservative, methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate (methylparaben). The use of encapsulated thymol at 0.078, 0.156 and 0.625 mg ml(-1) (0.52, 1.04 and 4.16 mmol(-1), respectively) in cosmetic lotion formulations provided total suppression of viable E. coli, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa growth (all initially seeded at 10(5) cfu ml(-1)), respectively, over the three month test period, whereas unencapsulated thymol showed effective suppression for only 2-4 weeks. Effective bacterial suppression by encapsulated thymol was also observed when used in cream and aqueous gel cosmetic formulations.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cellulose; Cosmetics; Escherichia coli; Excipients; Gels; Methylcellulose; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Nanospheres; Parabens; Particle Size; Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Skin Cream; Staphylococcus aureus; Thymol; Time Factors

The aim of the study was to provide a controlled release system, which could be used for the oral administration of highly water-insoluble drugs. Pellets have been prepared by extrusion/spheronization containing two model drugs (methyl and propyl parabens) of low water solubility. One type of pellets contained the drugs mixed with lactose and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and the other types of pellets contained the model drugs dissolved in a self-emulsifying system (4.8%) consisting of equal parts of mono-diglycerides and polysorbate 80 and MCC. Pellets of all types in the same size fraction (1.4-2.0 mm) were coated to different levels of weight gain, with ethylcellulose, talc and glycerol. A sample of pellets containing methyl parabens in the self-emulsifying system was pre-coated with a film of hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose from an aqueous solution and then coated as above. Dissolution experiments established that the presence of the self-emulsifying system enhanced the drug release of both model drugs and that the film coating considerably reduced the drug release from pellets made with just water, lactose and MCC. The coating reduced the drug release from the pellets containing the self-emulsifying system to a lesser extent but in relation to the quantity of coat applied to the pellets. The application of a sub-coating of hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose was able to reduce the release rate of methyl parabens self-emulsifying system ethyl cellulose coated pellets. Thus, the formulation approach offers the possibility of formulating and controlling the in vitro release of water-insoluble drugs from solid oral dosage forms.

Topics: Capsules; Cellulose; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Delayed-Action Preparations; Diglycerides; Emulsions; Excipients; Hypromellose Derivatives; Lactose; Methylcellulose; Monoglycerides; Parabens; Particle Size; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Polysorbates; Solubility; Technology, Pharmaceutical; Time Factors; Water