Abstract

COMPARISON STUDIES SHOWING SWELLING EFFECT AND DRUG RELEASE PATTERN FROM MATRICES CONTAINING DIFFERENT DRUGS AND SAME POLYMER COMBINATIONS

Masheer Ahmed Khan*

Abstract

Polymers are excellent drug carriers and widely used in the formulation of matrices to prolong the release of drug from the devices. The present comparison studies shows swelling effect and drug release pattern from matrices of Atenolol and Diltiazem hydrochloride drugs containing same polymer combinations. Matrices of both the drugs are prepared using same grades of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), viz, HPMCK4M, HPMCK15M and HPMCK100M. The study examines the degree of swelling and percent water uptake for matrices containing same polymer concentrations and combinations. The results indicate that swelling and release profiles were affected by concentration and viscosity grades of the polymer. The higher amount of polymer causes a greater degree of swelling this in turn reduces the drug release, as the diffusional path length of drug is longer and conversely, reduction in the amount of polymer reduces the degree of swelling and the thickness of gel layer, this enables faster drug release. Swelling studies reveals an inverse relationship between swelling effect and drug release pattern from both the drugs matrices using the same polymer combinations. Comparison studies shows almost similar swelling effect and drug release pattern from matrices containing different drugs and same polymer combinations.

Keywords: Polymer, Swelling, Matrices, Drug release.