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Bioavailability enhancement of sildenafil citrate via hydrogel-forming microneedle strategy in combination with cyclodextrin complexation

Sulistiawati Sulistiawati, Cindy Kristina Enggi, Israini Wiyulanda Iskandar, Rizki Rachmad Saputra, S. Sartini, Y. Rifai, Latifah Rahman, Muhammad Aswad et al.

International journal of pharmaceutics, 2024

15 citations

Abstract

Sildenafil citrate (SIL) as a first-line treatment for erectile dysfunction is currently reported to have poor solubility and bioavailability. Moreover, SIL undergoes first-pass metabolism when taken orally and its injection can lead to discomfort. In this study, we introduce a novel transdermal delivery system that integrates hydrogel-forming microneedles with the inclusion complex tablet reservoir. The hydrogel-forming microneedle was prepared from a mixture of polymers and crosslinkers through a crosslinking process. Importantly, the formulations showed high swelling capacity (>400 %) and exhibited adequate mechanical and penetration properties (needle height reduction 100 %. Therefore, the approach developed in this study could potentially increase the efficacy of SIL in treating erectile dysfunction by being non-invasive, safe, avoiding first-pass metabolism, and increasing drug bioavailability.

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