Abstract

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF TRANSDERMAL GEL OF NIMESULIDE AND EFFECT OF PERMEATION ENHANCERS ON ITS RELEASE CHARACTERISTICS

Dr. Kinjal B. Gandhi*, Dr. P Ajith Kumar, Lateef and Anwar

ABSTRACT

The present study was undertaken to formulate and evaluate transdermal gel of Nimesulide. Nimesulide is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve the pain and inflammation. Transdermal gel has gained more and more importance because the gel based formulations are better percutaneously absorbed than creams and ointment bases. Therefore, transdermal gel of Nimesulide was prepared using different polymers such as Sodium alginate, Sodium CMC, Methyl cellulose, and HPMC and prepared gel using different concentrations of sodium CMC as polymer, selected optimised polymer concentration P3 and incorporated permeation enhancer PEG 400 at different proportions. The study encompasses compatibility studies using FTIR spectra, drug content, viscosity, spreadability, and pH determination. Further the optimised formulation F2 was evaluated by in vitro diffusion study. Optimised formulation batch F2 subjected to stability study. The preliminary compatibility studies conducted revealed that there was no interaction between Nimesulide and excipients. In vitro drug release study was carried out with Franz diffusion cell using natural egg membrane in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer as diffusion medium. Formulation batch F2 containing Sodium CMC and permeation enhancer PEG 400 showed 99.20 % drug release at 180 min and 7.98 g.cm /sec spreadability. Result showed that formulation batch F2 showed better drug release at 3 hrs. Formulation batch F2 was used further for stability study. Stability studies conducted under accelerated conditions were shown satisfactory results. It was concluded that Sodium CMC gel containing Nimesulide showed good consistency, spreadability, homogeneity and stability. So, Transdermal gel had a wider prospect for transdermal preparations.

Keywords: Nimesulide, Sodium CMC, PEG 400, Transdermal gel of Nimesulide.