Preparation and Characterization of Maleic Anhydride Cross-Linked Chitosan-Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogel Matrix Transdermal Patch

Transdermal drug delivery systems are polymeric patches containing dissolved or dispersed drugs that deliver therapeutic agents at a constant rate to the human body. Matrix type transdermal patches were prepared using alprazolam as a model drug and employing the combinations of chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol (CS-PVA) cross linked with Maleic anhydride. The transdermal patches were evaluated for their physicochemical properties like thickness, tensile strength, folding endurance, drug content, swellability, surface pH, water vapour transmission, in vitro permeation and skin irritation studies. FTIR study indicated no interaction between drug and polymers. The permeability of alprazolam was increased with increase in PVA content. The in vitro drug permeation followed Higuchi kinetics as its coefficient of correlation value predominates over zero order and first order kinetics. Also the diffusion coefficient of release profiles had a value of nearly 0.5, which indicated Fickian transport diffusion. The patches were found to be free of any skin irritation.