Controlled release of antifungal drug terbinafine hydrochloride from poly(N-vinyl 2-pyrrolidone/itaconic acid) hydrogels

Adsorption and controlled release of terbinafine hydrochloride (TER-HCl) to and from pH-sensitive poly(N-vinyl 2-pyrrolidone/itaconic acid) P(VP/IA) h ydrogels were investigated. P(VP/IA) hydrogels were prepared by irradiating the ternary monomer mixtures of N-vinyl 2-pyrrolidone/itaconic acid/ethyle ne glycol dimethacrylate in aqueous solution by gamma -rays at ambient temp erature. Hydrogels containing antifungal drug TER-HCl, at different drug-to -polymer ratios. were prepared by direct adsorption method. The influence o f IA content in the gel on the adsorption capacities of hydrogels and the e ffect or pH on the releasing behavior of TER-HCl from the gel matrix were i nvestigated. Terbinafine adsorption capacity of hydrogels was found to incr ease from 6 to 82 mg of TER-HCl per grain of dry gel with increasing drug c oncentration and amount of IA in the gel system. In-vitro drug-release stud ies in different buffer solutions showed that the basic parameters affectin g the drug-release behavior of hydrogels are the pH of the solution and the IA content or the hydrogel. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reser ved.