CHITOSAN/HPMC-BASED HYDROGELS CONTAINING ESSENTIAL
OILS FOR TOPICAL DELIVERY OF FLUCONAZOLE: PRELIMINARY
STUDIES
ANA MARIA MUŢ 1#, LAVINIA VLAIA 1#*, GEORGETA CONEAC 1#, IOANA OLARIU 1#, VICENŢIU VLAIA 1#, CORINA STĂNCIULESCU 2#, MIRELA ADRIANA MITU 3#, ZOLTAN SZABADAI 4#, DUMITRU LUPULIASA 3#
1“Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timişoara, Romania
2“Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timişoara, Romania
3“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, 8 Traian Vuia Street, Bucharest, Romania
4National Institute for Research and Development in Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter, 114 Dr. Aurel Păunescu
Podeanu Street, Timişoara, Romania
*corresponding author: vlaia.lavinia@umft.ro
#All authors had equal contribution.
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Abstract:
Among the pharmaceutical excipients of natural origin, polysaccharides (i.e. chitosan and cellulose derivatives) and essential oils
have attracted increasing interest as gelling agents and penetration enhancers respectively, for development of topical semisolid
preparations, including hydrogels. Therefore, in this research an attempt has been made to design and prepare new biocompatible
hydrogels, using fluconazole (FZ) as model drug, two mixed polysaccharides (chitosan and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose) as
gelling agents, clove oil (CVO) and cinnamon oil (CNO) as potential penetration enhancers and synergistic antifungal components,
cosolvents and a non-ionic synthetic surfactant as solubilizers. The prepared hydrogels were characterized for drug content, pH
and rheological properties (flow behaviour, viscosity, consistency and spreadability). Also, in vitro fluconazole release through
hydrophilic synthetic membrane was evaluated by vertical diffusion cell method. The obtained results revealed that all
experimental formulations were homogeneous, with adequate rheological characteristics and possessed pH values very close to
the lower limit of the compendial range. Based on the obtained results, it can be suggested that both essential oil composition
and its concentration in the formulations have significant effects on the mechanical properties and pharmaceutical availability
of the tested hydrogels. In vitro drug release results sustained that the most desirable topical vehicles for fluconazole delivery,
the formulations FZ-CNO 3%, FZ-CNO 5% and FZ-CVO 5%, containing 3% or 5% cinnamon oil and respectively 5% clove
oil incorporated into a chitosan-hydroxypropylmethylcellulose based hydrogel. In conclusion, these hydrogels should be
further investigated by in vitro and in vivo studies as promissing carriers for topical fluconazole delivery.

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