Improved texture analysis for hydrogel characterization: Gel cohesiveness, adhesiveness, and hardness

Abstract

The texture properties of formulation are an important parameter in optimization of topical formulations. These properties will affect applicability of the formulation at the administration site and therapy outcome. Our aim was to develop a fast and reliable method to characterize texture properties of hydrogels, namely cohesiveness, adhesiveness, and hardness. During the method development, we realized that the measurements setup needed to be adjusted for each hydrogel type, namely Carbopol, chitosan, and poloxamer hydrogels. The influence of the polymer concentration, pH, and incorporation of additives such as glycerol, drug solution, or liposomes on the texture properties, as determined by Texture Analyzer, was evaluated. In addition, the new method was applied to determine the changes during the accelerated stability testing. While Carbopol and poloxamer gels showed a linear relationship between the polymer concentration and texture properties, for low molecular weight chitosan gels the properties increased in exponential manner with increasing polymer concentration. The effect of incorporated liposomes on the gel properties was found to be dependent on the type of hydrogel. The hydrogel hardness was affected by the temperature as seen in accelerated stability testing. The method represents a valuable tool in pharmaceutical and cosmetics formulation development. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012

Elastic liposomes-in-vehicle formulations destined for skin therapy: the synergy between type of liposomes and vehicle

“…Each formulation was measured five times, ensuring the same conditions for each measurement. The hardness of the each formulation was determined, and the texture properties, such as cohesiveness and adhesiveness, were calculated 26 . Control samples were examined under the same conditions.…”

“…Texture analysis was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the different liposomes-in-vehicle formulations, and parameters such as hardness, adhesiveness and cohesiveness were assessed ( Figure 2). These properties have been directly correlated with administration parameters in vivo, such as spreadability (hardness) and retention of the formulation on the skin (adhesiveness) or its removal from the container (cohesiveness) 14,26 . Therefore, these investigations are of major importance during the development and optimization of formulations.…”

The effect of lipid composition and liposome size on the release properties of liposomes-in-hydrogel

“…156 Hydrogels were prepared as described earlier (Hurler et al, 2012b). In brief, Carbopol was adjusted to obtain hydrogels with a pH value of 7.…”

“…In this study we have focused on the rheological characterization of liposomes-in-hydrogels, exhibiting lower cohesiveness as compared to plain chitosan hydrogel (Hurler et al, 2012b).…”

Formulations with green clay for acne-prone skin: evaluation of rheology and sensory

“…Sensory evaluation is used to measure, analyze and interpret the characteristics of products according to the perception of the four senses (sight, smell, taste and touch). Although initially this analysis was used for food and beverages, sensory evaluation is widely applicable in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries, such as toothpaste, shampoo, etc [5][6][7][8][9] . The sensory evaluation of a cosmetic product is of paramount importance, as it affects the acceptance of the product by the consumer and consequently its potential for trade 6 .…”