Formulation and Evaluation of Dermal Patches of Gatifloxacin in Wound Healing

Abstract

A number of delivery systems have been investigated for use in wound dressing, but still an ideal drug delivery system is yet to be developed. The greatest advantages associated with the use of dermal patches delivery system over systemic delivery are that the administration has local effect, sustained release and lesser amount of drug is sufficient to achieve effective concentration at the site. The present investigation was aimed to prepare and characterize a topically and locally effective, sustained release Gatifloxacin loaded dermal patches. The preformulation and preliminary evaluations like FT-IR, DSC, physical appearance, surface pH, folding endurance, tensile test and swelling studies were studied. The results showed the absence of drug-polymer interactions, uniform smooth surfaces, ideal skin pH, good mechanical properties and swelling index. The in vitro and ex vivo parameters such as estimation of drug content, uniformity of drug content, thickness measurement, weight determination, percentage moisture uptake, percentage moisture loss, Water Vapour Transmission Rate (WVTR), contact angle measurement, SEM morphological study, microbial penetration study, oxygen penetration measurement, dispersion characteristics/wet integrity test, in vitro drug release study, bioadhesive strength measurement, thrombus formation test, haemolysis assay and biodegradation test were studied. The results of Gatifloxacin release studies indicate that the polymer concentration posess a substantial effect on the drug release from the patches and the dermal patches sustain the release of Gatifloxacin. The drug release kinetic studies indicate that the release approximates non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. The results of the present study clearly demonstrate that the dermal patch of Gatifloxacin is therapeutically beneficial for wound healing in order to overcome the systemic toxic effects following oral administration. Further extensive clinical study is recommended to ascertain its viability for clinical use.