Investigation on factors affecting drug delivery using polymers and phospholipids.

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the influence of physicochemical characteristics of the drug and the carrier on the topical or transdermal permeation of hydrophilic (ascorbic acid, diclofenac) and lipophilic drug molecules (levothyroxine, haloperidol, retinoic acid) from polymeric, poly-N-isoporopylacrylamide (PNIPAM), poly vinylalcohol, randomly methylated N2-cyclodextrin (RM N2-CD), poly lactide , poly lactide co-glycolide, ethyl cellulose, nanofibers and microparticles and various lipid vesicles using excised human skin. RM N2-CD decreased the degradation time of the nanofiber mat from a few weeks to a few seconds and provided rapid drug release, whereas PNIPAM nanofibers sustained the skin delivery of the drug. An anti-wrinkle face mask was developed to increase the stability of ascorbic acid and the aqueous solubility of retinoic acid. It was found that modification of physicochemical characteristics of the drug and carrier can be used to increase the skin permeation/accumulation of drugs.