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Copyright @ Pol J Cosmetol
Pol J Cosmetol 2006, 9(3): 151-162pl,en  The use of biopolymers (chitosan and xanthan gum) in the prescription of anti-inflammatory hydrogels applied on skinMagdalena Piechota-Urbańska, Grażyna Samczewska, Justyna Kołodziejska Katedra Farmacji Stosowanej Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Łodzi Summary Introduction. Specific properties of chitosan such as: bioactivity, biodegradability, bacteriostaticity together with safe toxicologic profile make this polymer a valuable vehicle used in medicine, pharmacy and cosmetology. The aim of this study was to design a prescription for stable anti-inflammatory hydrogels on the base of chitosan intended for skin as well as to test their physicochemical properties and ibuprofen pharmaceutical availability. An attempt was made to compare the results of tests of hydrogels of parallel prescription but differing in the applied gelating component (chitosan and xanthan gum). Material and methods. There were prepared variant hydrogel vehicles and preparations with ibuprofen on the base of chitosan from shrimp shells (SAD=90%), chitosan from crab shells (SD=85%) and from xanthan gum. Extensometric method was used to test spreadness of the preparations, gravimetric method to determine the rate of volatile components loss, while viscosity parameters were determined with cone-plate digital rheometer. Potentiometric method was applied to measure pH of the produced hydrogels. The test for ibuprofen pharmaceutical availability was performed with spectrophotometric method. Results. The systems containing shrimp shell chitosan demonstrate the best spreadness and the lowest viscosity. The results of the measurement of water loss point to comparable increase of structural viscosity of all the tested preparations and thus, to similar changes of ibuprofen pharmaceutical availability during application of the hydrogels. All the suggested systems have pH compatible with skin pH. Ibuprofen releases less effectively from model preparations with chitosan than from those with xanthan gum. Introduction of propylene glycol and glycerol into the prescription contributes to the decrease of spreadness, viscosity and ibuprofen pharmaceutical availability. Conclusions. The most beneficial applicative properties (including rheological ones) were obtained for model hydrogels containing shrimp shell chitosan (SD=90%). The preparations containing it in their prescription have high pharmaceutical availability of ibuprofen but the obtained results are less satisfactory than those obtained for hydrogels with xanthan gum. Key words: anti-inflammatory hydrogels, skin, chitosan, xanthan gum, ibuprofen |