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The purpose of this research was to design and evaluate chitosan-based films intended for wound dressing application. Required properties for successful wound dressing, such as liquid uptake, vapor and oxygen penetration, bioadhesiveness, and film elasticity, were examined. Water uptake and vapor penetration of the films were determined gravimetrically, while oxygen penetration was determined by Winkler's method. The bioadhesive properties were determined with an in-house pulley system instrument using a pig gut model. Film elasticity was determined with a stretch test using an Instron apparatus. The results showed that pure chitosan films exhibited relatively high liquid uptake and the adsorption tended to decrease with the addition of Eudragit RS 30D. Moisture vapor and oxygen were found to be able to penetrate through all film formulations in comparable amounts. The bioadhesiveness test tended to show lower bioadhesive properties with the addition of Eudragit RS 30D. The formulation containing only chitosan exhibited low elongation of the film at 2 N, but the film elasticity increased with the addition of Eudragit RS 30D. In conclusion, the addition of Eudragit RS 30D could improve a film's mechanical properties but lower its bioadhesiveness.

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Polymeric hydrogels are widely used as controlled-release matrix tablets. In the present study, we investigated high-methoxy pectins for their potential value in controlled-release matrix formulations. The effects of compression force, ratio of drug to pectin, and type of pectin on drug release from matrix tablets were also investigated. The results of the in vitro release studies show that the drug release from compressed matrix tablets prepared from pectin can be modified by changing the amount and the type of pectin in the matrix tablets. However, compression force did not significantly affect the drug release. The mechanisms controlling release rate were discussed with respect to drug diffusion through the polymer matrices, but may be more complex.

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