Effect of permeation enhancers on the iontophoretic transport of metoprolol tartrate and the drug retention in skin.

Utilization of chemical penetration enhancers in conjunction with iontophoresis is regarded as the most effective method to enhance the passage of molecules across the skin barrier. A systematic approach to enhance the transdermal delivery of metoprolol tartrate and the subsequent release of the drug depot in the skin was investigated. Gel formulations with proximate viscosity were prepared and assessed for the effect of polymers (carbopol, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and methyl cellulose), permeation enhancers (5% w/w, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), dimethyl formamide, n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and polyethylene glycol 400), and the combination approach (permeation enhancers with iontophoresis-0.5 mA/cm² on the drug delivery. The flux values observed in passive (4.59-5.89 µg/cm²/h) and iontophoresis (37.99-41.57 µg/cm²/h) processes revealed that the permeation of metoprolol was not influenced by the polymers studied, under similar conditions, and further studies were carried out using carbopol gel as a representative polymer. Appreciable enhancement (~5-fold) in drug delivery was observed with SLS in the passive process while the optimum iontophoretic delivery condition ensured better delivery (~7-fold). Combination of iontophoresis with SLS further enhanced the drug delivery (~9-fold) and leads to noticeable drug retention in the skin as well. Moreover, the drug retained in the cutaneous layer of the skin eventually released over a period of time (5 days) and followed a near first order profile. This study concludes that the combination of iontophoresis with SLS augmented the metoprolol delivery and rendered skin drug depot, which eventually released over a period of time.