Production and Characterization of Mucoadhesive Membranes for Anesthetic Vehiculation

Studies on release systems produced from natural polymers such as chitosan (CS) have intensified in the pharmaceutical area. Polymeric membranes for the topical administration of drugs are being developed for the controlled release of drugs. Thus, the present study aimed to develop mucoadhesive polymer membranes for topical administration of the anesthetic, lidocaine hydrochloride (LID), for topical use. The methodology was done by a casting method using CS, propylene glycol (PPG) as the plasticizer in the concentrations of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8% and lidocaine hydrochloride (LID). The membranes were characterized by mechanical properties, swelling index, thermal analysis and cell viability in vitro. Results showed membranes containing PPG containing the plasticizing agent was greater flexibility, better swelling profile and higher thermal resistance. In the cell viability assay with HaCat and 3T3 cells, it was possible to observe that all samples showed viability higher than 60 %. Thus, according to the results obtained in this study, it was possible to conclude that this pharmaceutical form is promising for the therapeutic use in topical administration aiming at the anesthetic action.