PERCUTANEOUS-ABSORPTION OF CAPTORPIL FROM HYDROPHILIC CELLULOSE GEL(R) THROUGH EXCISED RABBIT SKIN AND HUMAN SKIN

The purpose of this investigation was to design and evaluate the percu taneous absorption of captopril from a hydrophilic cellulose gel base( R). The effect of type and concentration of saturated fatty acids, amo unt of gel base as well as the concentration of drug on percutaneous a bsorption of captopril gel through rabbit skin were evaluated and sele cted to obtain some optimal formulations. Then the required flux (1488 mu g/h) for captopril transdermal drug delivery system to maintain th e therapeutic minimum effective concentration through human skin was u sed to evaluate the development of the optimal formulations. The resul ts indicated that these formulations containing 3, 5 and 10% captopril with 5% capric acid using 22.89, 6.98 and 4.89 cm(2) of administered area were attained to the therapeutic minimum effective concentration. Therefore these formulations were suitable for possible development o f transdermal drug delivery system. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Scienc e B.V.