IN VITRO EVALUATION OF TOPICAL GELS CONTAINING CELECOXIB-LOADED STEARIC AND ALGINIC ACIDS-BASED MICROPARTICLES

The aims of this investigation were to prepare aqueous dispersions (1% w/v)-and physical mixtures of celecoxib (CXB)-excipient at 1:1 or 2:1 ratios, to study drug-excipient interactions over 7 days under two different storage conditions, to prepare microparticles based on stearic and alginic acids from an aqueous system by hot (melt) dispersion method and to evaluate in vitro spreadability and drug release patterns of gels containing CXB alone or drug-loaded microparticles. Whereas storing the drug-excipient physical mixtures (1:1 ratio) lowered the drug recovery percentage values, the aqueous dispersions made from CXB-excipients physical mixtures augmented the wave number values for CH and/or CC-aromatic stretchings of the drug in FT-IR analyses. While drug release from gels was performed in Franz diffusion cells using cellulose acetate membrane, spreadability was determined by glass slides method. Enhanced spreadability and reduced drug release were observed for gels containing drug-loaded microparticles that should substantiate its topical use to manage acute pain/inflammatory conditions over an extended period of time.