FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF TOPICAL METRONIDAZOLE

Lbrahim, S. A.; Tous, S. Shawky; El-Faham, T. H.; Moubasher, M. A.; Hassan, M A.

doi:10.21608/bfsa.1990.70570

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF TOPICAL METRONIDAZOLE

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

² Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

10.21608/bfsa.1990.70570

Abstract

Formulation of metronidazole in the form of topical preparations did not take much attention. Thus, the aim of this work is to formulate metronidazole in the form of gel and ointment. Ten ointment bases were used viz., oleagenous, absorption, emulsion and water soluble bases. The rate of release of the drug from the water soluble polyethylene glycol base was the highest. The effect of some penetration enhancers e.g. dimethylsulfoxide, urea and ethanol on the release rate of the drug from the water soluble and the o/w emulsion bases was studied.
For metronidazole gels, several cellulose derivatives were used viz., methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methocel. Eudragit RL 100 and Eudragit RS 100. The in-vitro release of the drug was maximum from methylcellulose gel followed by Eudragit RL 100. In general the in-vitro release of metronidazole from gel was higher than that from ointment bases.
Preliminary clinical investigations of metronidazole in an ointment and in a gel formulae were performed. These preliminary studies were impressive but further clinical studies are required before recommending metronidazole as an effective topical therapy.