A novel plaster containing benzoyl peroxide microsponges: Formulation, development and evaluation

Abstract

Benzoyl peroxide is a widely used active agent for acne vulgaris treatment that has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, keratolytic and wound-healing properties. The common complaints for benzoyl peroxide are skin irritation and dryness. To reduce these side effects, microsponge formulations are used as an effective tool in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In this study, a medical plaster was developed containing benzoyl peroxide microsponges which gives an opportunity to explore the potential of the microsponge systems in textile industry. Benzoyl peroxide microsponge was obtained by using quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method and characterized by SEM, FT-IR, particle size analysis and porosity studies. The microsponges were applied onto 100% cotton woven fabric by using dip-coating technique. In the treatment solution, different binding agents as acrylic binder, and cross-linking agents as poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether and 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid were used. Microsponges were around 78.4 µm in diameter and had a spherical porous surface. SEM analyses of the treated fabrics proved that the microsponges were succesfully transferred on cotton fabrics. The drug contents of the fabrics containing Benzoyl peroxide loaded microsponge were found to be within the range of 68.512–102.873%. The in vitro drug release results show that the release from both samples was more than 40% within 6 h. The water vapor permeability of plaster prepared with acrylic binder (S1) was significantly higher than the other plasters. This study presents a novel approach for acne treatment based on textiles containing microsponges. The results revealed that microsponges had a promising potential in textile field.