niosomes_iontophoresis

The purpose of this study was to conduct the kinetic assessment of iontophoretic delivery of niosomal tetracycline-HCl formulated in an electroconductive gel. Tween-80 and Span-80 were used to obtain Tetracycline-Hydrochloride niosomes with an average diameter of 101.9±3.3 nm, polydispersity index of 0.247±0.004, a Zeta potential of -34.1 mV, and an entrapment efficiency of 70.08%±0.16%. Four different gel preparations, two of which contained niosomal Tetracycline-Hydrochloride, were transdermal delivered using Franz diffusion cells under the trigger effect of iontophoresis applied at 0.2, 0.5, and 1 mA/cm2 current density. The control group was the passive diffusion results of the preparation made using a Tetracycline-Hydrochloride based drug marketed in Turkey. The control group was compared with the groups that contained (a) Tetracycline-Hydrochloride in an electroconductive gel, (b) the niosomal Tetracycline-Hydrochloride formulation in water, and (c) the niosomal Tetracycline-Hydrochloride formulation in the electroconductive gel. The group with the niosomal formulation in the electroconductive gel displayed the highest increase in iontophoretic transdermal delivery relative to the control group, displaying a 2, 2.1, and 2.2-fold increase respectively by current density. The experimental results of transdermal delivery using the synergistic effect of niosomal formulation in electroconductive gel and the trigger effect of iontophoresis appeared to divert slightly from zero-order kinetics, demonstrating statistically significant increase in the rate of controlled transdermal drug delivery. Considering that about 20% of the formulation is transdermally delivered in the first half-hour, the iontophoretic transdermal delivery of niosomal Tetracycline-Hydrochloride can be efficiently used in local iontophoretic therapy.