FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF HYDROGEL BASED SYSTEM FOR EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF RUTIN

Abstract

Hydrogels, the swellable polymeric materials, have been widely investigated as the carrier for drug delivery systems. The hydrogel can be defined as a cross-linked polymeric network which has the capacity to hold water within its porous structure. The water holding capacity of the hydrogels arise mainly due to the presence of hydrophilic groups, viz. amino, carboxyl and hydroxyl groups in the polymer chains. Hydrogels are cross-linked polymeric networks and hence provide a 3-dimensional polymeric network structure. Rutin is the rhamnoglucoside of the flavonoid quercetin. It is quercetin 3-rutinoside and found in many plants and used for treatment of various vascular diseases. The goal of this work was to formulate and optimized hydrogel systems containing rutin 0.025% (w/w) which can improve the therapeutic efficacy of poor water soluble drugs (rutin). Hydrogels were prepared using Carbopol 934 and HPMC in different concentrations ratio 2:1, 1:1 & 2:1 along with methanolic (co-solvent) dispersion of rutin. Choice of optimal concentrations of polymers is based on rheological properties of hydrogels. Hydrogels were characterized by means of pH measurement, determination of % entrapment, pH, viscosity, Spreadability. In vitro release behaviour of rutin from hydrogels was determined using Franz diffusion cell. Release profile of the rutin was also fit into various kinetic models to find out the mechanism of drug release and formulations were showing the release by zero order system. On the basis of these parameters, the formula was optimized.