Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Bioadhesive Hydrogels for Topical Application and Sustained Drug Release: The Effect of Polyvinylpyrrolidone on the Physicomechanical Properties of Hydrogel

Abstract

Hydrogels are homogeneous three-dimensional polymeric networks capable of holding large amounts of water and are widely used in topical formulations. Herein, the physicomechanical, rheological, bioadhesive, and drug-release properties of hydrogels containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were examined, and the intermolecular interactions between the polymers were explored. A three-level factorial design was used to form HPMC–PVP binary hydrogels. The physicomechanical properties of the binary hydrogels alongside the homopolymeric HPMC hydrogels were characterized using a texture analyzer. Rheological properties of the gels were studied using a cone and plate rheometer. The bioadhesiveness of selected binary hydrogels was tested on porcine skin. Hydrophilic benzophenone-4 was loaded into both homopolymeric and binary gels, and drug-release profiles were investigated over 24 h at 33 °C. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to understand the inter-molecular drug–gel interactions. Factorial design analysis supported the dominant role of the HPMC in determining the gel properties, rather than the PVP, with the effect of both polymer concentrations being non-linear. The addition of PVP to the HPMC gels improved adhesiveness without significantly affecting other properties such as hardness, shear-thinning feature, and viscosity, thereby improving bioadhesiveness for sustained skin retention without negatively impacting cosmetic acceptability or ease of use. The release of benzophenone-4 in the HPMC hydrogels followed zero-order kinetics, with benzophenone-4 release being significantly retarded by the presence of PVP, likely due to intermolecular interactions between the drug and the PVP polymer, as confirmed by the FTIR. The HPMC–PVP binary hydrogels demonstrate strong bioadhesiveness resulting from the addition of PVP with desirable shear-thinning properties that allow the formulation to have extended skin-retention times. The developed HPMC–PVP binary hydrogel is a promising sustained-release platform for topical drug delivery.

The wound healing effect of polycaprolactone-chitosan scaffold coated with a gel containing Zataria multiflora Boiss. volatile oil nanoemulsions

“…Additionally, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) has many applications in cosmetic materials and preparing skin creams [ 89 , 90 ]. On the other hand, the efficiency of Zataria multiflora creams in clinical wound healing has been approved previously.…”

Characterization, Biocompatibility and Antioxidant Activity of Hydrogels Containing Propolis Extract as an Alternative Treatment in Wound Healing

“…As for flow, they exhibited pseudoplastic behavior, i.e., direct proportionality between shear rate and shear stress, although not continuously, as well as decreased viscosity that allows the material fluidity when subjected to friction [64]. Pseudoplastic behavior is considered a desirable property in products intended for topical use, as the formulation should spread properly during application, flow easily after applying tension, form a uniform film on the skin [65] and remain in place without flowing, once applied [66]. It can be the result of the wellorganized network structure formed by hydrogen bonds and polymer entanglement, which ensures high viscosity at low shear rates and prevents dispersed phase wetting [64].…”

How the combination of alginate and chitosan can fabricate a hydrogel with favorable properties for wound healing

“…homopolymeric, copolymeric, and multipolymer hydrogels. Homopolymeric hydrogels are derived from a single monomeric species (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose hydrogel by Pan et al 2023 ) [ 29 ]. Copolymeric hydrogels consist of two or more types of monomers with at least one hydrophobic component arranged in a random or block configuration along the chain of the polymer network (dialdehyde methylcellulose/chitosan oligomer hydrogel by Ho Yeo and Ho Park, 2021 ) [ 30 ].…”