Microimaging of the Water Diffusion in Hydrophylic Polymers
Narcyz Pislewski, Jadwiga Tritt-Goc and Joanna Kowalczuk
Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) has focused much attention as a hydrophilic matrix for sustained release formations. When exposed to water or body fluids, the polymer forms a gel layer around the tablets and greatly influences the dissolution and diffusion of the drug. The investigation of the fluid ingress into HPMC matrix is of a great importance for the production of controlled drugs as well as for the understanding of the phenomena and was the subject of our previous study [1,2]. In these contribution, we presented the observation of the behavior gel layer thickness in HPMC matrices loaded with increasing amounts of soluble and colored drug tetracycline hydrochloride. The main goal of this work was to determine how the drug loading affected the swelling properties of the matrix.