A SIMPLE DIFFUSION CELL TO MONITOR DRUG-RELEASE FROM SEMISOLID DOSAGE FORMS

A simple plexiglass cell was constructed and the in vitro release of acyclovir and diclofenac from semi-solid dosage forms was monitored using nylon and cellulose acetate membranes. The release of acyclovir was also monitored using Franz diffusion cells. Comparison of the data indicated that the rank order of release of acyclovir was the same using either the plexiglass or the Franz cells. However, data from the plexiglass cells indicated that better precision was obtained using this system as reflected by the much lower degree of variability between replicate experiments compared to the results obtained using the Franz cells. The results clearly indicate that the plexiglass cells provide a simple, precise and reliable system to monitor in vitro drug release from semi-solid dosage forms and do not suffer from the problem of having to remove air bubbles at the membrane/liquid interface which often occurs when using the Franz cells.