Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the availability of an oral ointment base which contains Carbopol-934 (CP) and sticks to the oral mucosa for the treatment of aphtha. The ointment base (CP ointment) was prepared by mixing 0, 10, 20 or 30% (w/w) CP with the following three kinds of ointment bases : white petrolatum (WP), hydrophilic petrolatum (HP), and absorptive ointment (AO). Finally, prednisolone was added to each base as a model drug. The in vitro pharmaceutical properties of CP ointments were evaluated by penetrating, shearing stickiness and drug release tests. An in vivo absorption test using hamster cheek pouch was carried out by periodic measurement of the amount of drug remaining in the ointment applied. In each ointment, the consistency, the shearing stickiness and % of prednisolone released increased with increase in the content of CP. In the in vivo absorption test, no absorption of prednisolone was detected from the ointments of HP and AO, while absorption occurred from the CP ointment with WP base.
