Swelling And Acetaminophen Permeability of Pectin/PVOH Blend Films Crosslinked with Zn2+

Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide found in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants and it has a complex structure [1]. The use of blend films in drug deliveryoptimizes the physicochemical and permeation properties of the prepared films. It is believed that characterizing the free film provides a means to predict the properties in real applications [2]. The release characteristics of film-coated controlled release formulations are strongly dependent on thepermeability of the film [3]. Aulton [4] suggested that evaluation of free films as a means to predict the properties of applied films will be experimentally economical and statistically efficient. In general, a free film may be prepared by casting or by spraying the polymer solution onto an inertsubstrate. In this study, blend films of high methoxyl pectin and PVOH in varying ratios were prepared with the aid of solution-castmethod and then crosslinked physically with Zn2+. Swelling behaviour and diffusion characteristics of prepared films against acetaminophen in distilled water were measured using a Franz diffusion cell.