Combination of synthetic and natural polymers on the characteristics and evaluation of transdermal hydrogel-forming microneedles preparations integrated with direct compressed tablets reservoir sildenafil citrate

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a disorder of the male reproductive organs due to the inability to achieve penile erection. Hydrogel-forming microneedles (HFMs) integrated with direct compression tablets (DCT) reservoir SC was developed. HFMs were produced utilizing polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and chitosan as a combination of a mixture of synthetic and natural polymers as well as glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking agent. The swelling study of hydrogel film for all formulas had a swelling percentage profile >900%. Characterization for all HFMs formulas possessed a good profile with a percentage reduction in height of MNs <10% and was considered capable of penetrating the dermis layer. Ex vivo permeation studies on HFMs with DCT reservoir SC showed that the largest amount of SC drug permeated at 24 h was 3384.7 ± 90.81 μg/cm2. This study has succeeded in presenting the development of a transdermal preparation of HFMs integrated with DCT reservoir SC.