THE EFFECT OF PLASTICIZER CONCENTRATION ON POLYMERIC TRANSDERMAL PATCH

Abstract

An effort was made to formulate drug free transdermal patches by using different polymers like ethyl cellulose, poly vinyl pyrrolidone and eudragit. Four groups of twelve formulations of  drug free transdermal patches were prepared by solvent evaporation  technique in which each group have different plasticizer concentration and  evaluated for flatness, tensile strength, folding endurance, moisture content, Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), percent elongation. The tensile strength and folding endurance of the patches prepared with 20% Di-n-butylphthalate as plasticizer was high compared to patches prepared by 10% and 15 % Di-n-butylphthalate. The result of 20% plasticizer indicated that the patches would not break and would maintain their integrity with general skin folding when used. All the formulations show 100 % flatness. The WVTR was not significantly affected by varying the concentration of plasticizer (Di-n-butylphthalate). At concentration of 25 % of plasticizer the tensile strength and percent elongation not shows significant result due to soft and sticky formulation. On the basis of above observations we can easily concluded that the Di-n-butylphthalate at concentration 20% of polymers used as plasticizer for further developmental studies.

Key words: Di-n-butylphthalate, plasticizer, ethyl cellulose, tensile strength, transdermal patch.