In Vitro Characterzatioan and Evaluation of Transdermal Drug Delivery System for Metoprolol Tartarate

Transdermal delivery system bypass the hepatic first pass metabolism and avoid drug degradation due to gastrointestinal pH, enzymes etc., minimize plasma level fluctuations and extend the drug activity besides improving patient compliance. Transdermal films of meto prolol tartarate were prepared using polymers such as ethyl cellulose, poly vinyl alcohol, eudragit RL100, eudragit L100. Di - n - butylphlthalate was used as plasticizer. The study was undertaken to report the film forming properties of polymers used and in vitro drug release from the prepared monolithic matrices. Effect of drug loading on the drug release rate was also studied. The transdermal films were prepared using solvent casting method. These films were evaluated for Thickness, Percent moisture loss, Pe rcent moisture absorption, Drug content, Weight variation and olding endurance. In - vitro drug release kinetics was studied using Franz - diffusion cell. Drug release followed zero order kinetics. Drug loading at different concentrations found to have less e ffect on the film forming properties of the constituent polymers. Results have shown enhanced flux per unit time across rat skin. In conclusion combination of ethyl cellulose, poly vinyl alcohol, eudragit RL100, eudragit L100 and Di - n - butylphlthalate can potentially be optimized to develop an effective transdermal drug delivery system for metoprolol tartarate.