FABRICATION AND EVALUATION OF CHITOSAN-GELATIN COMPOSITE FILM AS A DRUG CARRIER FOR IN VITRO TRANSDERMAL DELIVERY

Natural polymer composite films from a mixture of chitosan and gelatin of various compositions were solution casted using acetic acid with and without theophylline. The films were characterized by FT-IR, TG, differential scanning calorimetry, SEM, XRD and swellability in phosphate buffer. SEM micrographs indicated uniform dispersion of the drug in the polymer blend and drug crystals were seen at higher magnification. TG, DSC and FT-IR studies implied polymer-polymer and polymer-drug weak interactions in the casted film. In vitro transdermal delivery of drug from theophylline loaded films were evaluated spectrophotometrically in phosphate buffer (pH=5.4) using Franz diffusion cell.  The study revealed that at initial stage of release (upto 6h) there was only moderate change on the drug release profiles with increased content of gelatin in the film. But at higher release times (10h) the release rate was enhanced with increased gelatin-chitosan ratio. This was attributed to the improved swellability of the film in the buffer.  The drug release followed a non-Fickian mechanism. The experimental observations implied that the gelatin-chitosan composite film may be used as transdermal carrier for systemic delivery of drug via the skin