GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Metformin Hydrochloride ([MTF][HCl]) is a hydrophilic biguanide compound, typically prescribed to patients diagnosed with type (II) diabetes mellitus or prediabetes. The hydrophilic nature of [MTF][HCl] causes the in vivo mechanistic action to breakdown at a fast rate and lowers the effective biological availability within the blood-based glucose interactive system. Thus, increasing the drugs’ ability to have an extended and prolonged release through an oral capacity is essential. This study utilizes metformin HCl alongside six hydrophobic anions to synthesize uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS). Employing chitosan and alginate as principal biopolymers and novel GUMBOS, a proposed system to create MTF-based GUMBOS complexed within chitosan-alginate patches through a gelation process will allow for an extended and increased integration of metformin transdermally. This will allow for an optimization of the drug encapsulated patches and assess the increased capacity for drug delivery through an in vitro system.