Development and in vitro evaluation of diltiazem hydrochloride transdermal patches based on povidone-ethylcellulose matrices.

To select a suitable formulation for the development of transdermal drug-delivery system of diltiazem hydrochloride. Transdermal patches of the drug, employing different ratios of polymers, ethylcellulose (EC), and povidone (PVP) were developed and evaluated for the potential drug delivery using depilated freshly excised abdominal mouse skin. The influence of different film compositions on in vitro drug permeation into receptor fluid were studied using a modified Franz diffusion cell. The cumulative amount of drug was found to be proportional to the square root of time, i.e., Higuchi kinetics. From this study, it was concluded that the films composed of povidone:ethylcellulose (1:2) should be selected for the development of transdermal drug-delivery system of diltiazem hydrochloride, using a suitable adhesive layer and backing membrane, for potential therapeutic use.