Chitosan hydrogels containing nanoencapsulated phenytoin for cutaneous use: Skin permeation/penetration and efficacy in wound healing

Publication date: Available online 8 November 2018Source: Materials Science and Engineering: CAuthor(s): Aline Marquez Cardoso, Edilene Gadelha de Oliveira, Karine Coradini, Franciele Aline Bruinsmann, Tanira Aguirre, Ricardo Lorenzoni, Raquel Cristiane Silva Barcelos, Karine Roversi, Domenika Rubert Rossato, Adriana Raffin Pohlmann, Sílvia Stanisçuaski Guterres, Marilise Escobar Bürger, Ruy Carlos Ruver BeckAbstractAlthough phenytoin is an antiepileptic drug used in the oral treatment of epilepsy, its off-label use as a cutaneous healing agent has been studied in recent years due to the frequent reports of gingival hyperplasia after oral administration. However, the cutaneous topical application of phenytoin should prevent percutaneous skin permeation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro skin permeation/retention and in vivo effects of nanocapsules and nanoemulsions loaded with phenytoin and formulated as chitosan hydrogels on the healing process of cutaneous wounds in rats. The hydrogels had adequate pH values (4.9–5.6) for skin application, drug content of 0.025% (w/w), and non-Newtonian pseudoplastic rheological behaviour. Hydrogels containing nanocapsules and nanoemulsions enabled improved controlled release of phenytoin and adhesion to skin, compared with hydrogels containing non-encapsulated phenytoin. In vitro skin permeation studies showed that phenytoin permeation to the receptor compartment, and consequently the risk of systemic absor...
Source: Materials Science and Engineering: C - Category: Materials Science Source Type: research