| Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is a first-line topical treatment in acne vulgaris, and
it is superior to antibiotics, because the bacteria do not develop resistance to it. Skin
irritation is a common side effect, and it has been shown that controlled release of
BPO from a delivery system to the skin could reduce the side effects while reducing
percutaneous absorption. Therefore, the purpose of the present investigation was to
prepare suitable controlled release formulations for BPO. This study examined
whether the type of topical formulation (cream, gel and lotion) can affect the
release behavior of BPO from microsponges. Benzoyl peroxide microparticles
were prepared using an emulsion solvent diffusion method by adding an organic
internal phase containing benzoyl peroxide, ethyl cellulose and dichloromethane into
a stirring aqueous phase containing polyvinyl alcohol. The loading capacity of the
drug content and the mean particle size of microparticles were determined. BPO
microparticles were then incorporated into various formulations (creams, gels and
lotions) for release studies. The micrograph of microsponges showed that they
were spherical in shape and contained pores. It was shown that the drug:polymer
ratio, stirring rate, volume of the dispersed phase influenced the particle size and
drug release behavior of the formed microsponges and that the presence of emulsifier
was essential for microsponge formation. The results showed that, generally, an
increase in the ratio of drug:polymer resulted in a reduction in the release rate of
BPO from microsponges which was attributed to a decrease in internal porosity of
the microsponges. The release data showed that the highest release rate was obtained
from lotions containing BPO microparticles and the lowest was obtained from
cream formulations. |