Preparation and Characterization of Chitosan/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Film Containing Clindamycin

Various drugs are used to treat acne, including topical antibiotics such as clindamycin. In this study, a film based on Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan is used to load clindamycin. Chitosan is used in drug delivery systems as a biopharmaceutical polymer due to its biological activities, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Although poor mechanical properties are one of the main problems of chitosan films, the combination of chitosan with other polymers such as PVA can be used to solve this problem. The results of FTIR and SEM showed that the fusion of hydrogen bonds between the chitosan and PVA, and the intramolecular interactions between these two polymers were enhanced. The contact angle test indicates that hydrophobicity of the film was increased after drug loading. Also, the investigation of the clindamycin release rate through PVA / chitosan substrate indicates that 1% of drug loading is suitable for anti-acne patch application.