Preparation and Characterization of Sulfanilamide-Loaded Patches for the Treatment of Acne

Acne vulgaris represents a chronic inflammation of the pilosebaceous apparatus, predominantly affecting the face and upper trunk due to the high concentration of sebaceous glands in these regions. Sulfanilamide is a sulfonamide antibacterial drug, a class of antibiotics that inhibit bacterial DNA synthesis by competitive antagonism of PABA. In this study, a novel patch formulation was developed for the effective treatment of acne using biocompatible polymers, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and chitosan, as the matrix materials, and sulfanilamide as the active agent. The patches were prepared employing varying concentrations of chitosan (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%), HPMC (0.125%, 0.25%, and 0.5%), and sulfanilamide (0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75%) solutions. In this study, customized Design of Experiments (DoE) and response surface methodology (RSM) were applied to clarify the effect of the concentration of chitosan (X1), HPMC (X2), and sulfanilamide (X3) on swelling (Y1), porosity (Y2), and absorbency (Y3). Multi-response optimization analysis was conducted to identify the optimal formulation exhibiting maximum absorbency, minimum swelling, and appropriate porosity. The optimized patch formulation was subsequently characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in vitro drug release studies, and antibacterial activity studies. The findings revealed that the optimized formulation achieved controlled drug release along with notable antibacterial efficacy. Therefore, a controlled-release transdermal patch was successfully formulated for the effective treatment of acne.