TRANSDERMAL DELIVERY OF METOCLOPRAMIDE USING EUCALYPTUS OIL AND SHEAR BUTTER

TRANSDERMAL DELIVERY OF METOCLOPRAMIDE USING EUCALYPTUS OIL AND SHEAR BUTTER

MEKO OGOCHUKWU AUGUSTINA1, ERAGA SYLVESTER OKHUELEGBE2,*, ARHEWOH MATTHEW IKHUORIA2

1.Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State.

2.Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, 300001, Nigeria.

Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 12(2): 208-216   ; 2020

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the effects of eucalyptus oil and shea butter on the physicochemical and bioadhesion properties as well as on the ex vivo drug release of metoclopramide from transdermal patch. Metoclopramide patches were formulated using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) in combination with varied proportions of shea butter and eucalyptus oil (10 – 30 %w/w of HPMC).The prepared patches were evaluated for their physicochemical properties such as thickness, folding endurance, moisture and drug contents as well as their bioadhesion properties and ex vivo drug release across treated rat skin. The patches were also characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in order to investigate any interaction between the excipients and drug in the formulation process. The patches had thickness ranging from 0.53 – 0.70 mm and folding endurance of 300 – 310. Moisture and drug contents increased with increasing concentrations of the oil or shea butter with values ranging from 21 – 53 % and 86 – 88 %, respectively for eucalyptus oil patches and 5.0 – 10 % and 98 – 99 %, respectively for shea butter patches. Patches bioadhesion ranged from 0.01029 – 0.02283 kN and decreased with increasing concentrations of the eucalyptus oil or shea butter (p ≤ 0.0413). The shea butter patches showed better ex vivo release profile with significant difference (p ≤ 0.0324). FT-IR spectra and DSC thermograms showed no observable interaction between the excipients and metoclopramide. Metoclopramide patches produced with shea butter were superior in their physicochemical properties and drug release while those formulated with eucalyptus oil exhibited superior bioadhesion properties.

Email of correspondence: eragaso@uniben.edu.ng;

KEYWORDS:       Bioadhesion, Metoclopramide, Oil, Shear butter, Permeation enhancer.