Water soluble polysaccharides are currently finding increasing use as a basis material for plasma volume expander. In clinical setting it is desirable to have a precise knowledge of steric and chemical structure, since these affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacology of plasma volume expander. Branch component of starch amylopectin is very similar in structure to glycogen, the reserve polysaccharide of animal and therefore is liable to be compatible with body tissue. The knowledge of weight average molecular mass, degree of branching, osmotic pressure and coil dimension are essential, since low molecular mass do not have desirable effect and large molar mass have undesirable effect. Assam Bora rice starch was characterized by polymer analysis for use as plasma volume expander. Characterization involves the determination of FTIR spectra, degree of branching by H1 NMR, osmotic pressure by internal measurement technique, establishment of Mark-Houwink relationship and determination of Molecular weight - viscosity relationship.

The aim of our study was to investigate the enhancing effect of several essential oils in the percutaneous absorption of trazodone hydrochloride (TZN). For this purpose, fennel oil, eucalyptus oil, citronella oil, and mentha oil were applied on the skin membrane in three different ways: included in the transdermal device, as a pretreatment, or both. To investigate the effect of penetration enhancers used in this study on the percutaneous absorption of TZN through mouse epidermis, Keshary-Chien diffusion cells were employed. The receptor phase was constantly stirring saline phosphate buffer of pH 7.4 at 37 +/- 1 degrees C. Results showed that pretreatment of skin with essential oils increases the flux values of TZN compared with the values obtained when the same essential oils were included in the transdermal devices. The percutaneous penetration flux for TZN was increased with skin pretreatment by 10% essential oils in the following order: fennel oil > eucalyptus oil > citronella oil > mentha oil. The amount of TZN retained in the skin after pretreatment with essential oils was found to be very similar in all cases and much higher than in the experiments without skin pretreatment.

Trazodone hydrochloride has not been previously investigated and reported for potential administration through transdermal route. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to study the effect of polymeric composition, drug content and plasticizer on the permeation of trazodone hydrochloride across the mouse epidermis for the development of transdermal therapeutic system. The pseudolatex films with different combination of polymers, plasticizer and drug were prepared from aqueous colloidal polymer dispersions. The polymers used were Eudragit RL100 and RS100. Triethylcitrate was used as plasticizer. The in vitro release and skin permeation through mouse epidermis from the prepared films were studied using Keshary-Chien diffusion cell. The in vitro drug release increased with increasing amount of Eudragit RL100 in the film. It was observed that the maximum skin permeability was attained at a loading dose of 10% w/w in the film. The in vitro flux decreased gradually at higher concentration up to 13% w/w. The present study has demonstrated the potential of the fabricated pseudolatex transdermal films for sustained release of trazodone hydrochloride. The concentration of triethylcitrate in the film markedly affected the skin permeation properties of trazodone hydrochloride.

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