Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Narges Shokri ¹, Mohammad Taghi Goodarzi ², Hamid Akbari Javar ³, Yasaman Soltani ⁴

Affiliations
1 Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box. 65178-3-8678, Hamadan, IR
2 Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box. 65178-3-8678, Hamadan, IR
3 Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box. 14155- 6451, Tehran, IR
4 Faculty of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box. 65178-3-8678, Hamadan, IR

Abstract

Objectives: Scientists have widely investigated the use of chemical enhancers to improve drug transport through the skin. In this study, ZnO and ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) has been used as dermal absorption enhancers for Ibuprofen (IP).

Methods: Seven different formulations containing IP, ZnO, or ZnO-NPs were prepared. Dermal absorption experiments were performed at 32°C using a diffusion cell containing phosphate buffer saline (pH 7.4) and a slice of chicken skin. Cumulative amounts of skin permeated IP, ZnO or ZnO-NPs were plotted over time.

Results: After 60 minutes, 90, 8 and 81 mg ZnO, ZnO-NPs and IP were passed through the skin, respectively. This amount for IP was 105, 114, 131 and 183 mg in presence of 100 mg ZnO, 100 mg ZnONPs, 200 mg ZnO-NPs, and 500 mg ZnO-NPs, respectively.

Maximum amount of not-permeated IP was seen for formulation 1 (IP without enhancer) and minimum notpermeated IP was seen for formulation 5 (IP with 500 mg ZnO-NPs as enhancer).

Conclusion: ZnO and more strongly ZnO-NPs could act as enhancers for transdermal delivery of IP. Such effect was improved by increase in concentration of ZnO-NPs. Therefore, ZnO-NPs can be used as enhancer in dermal drug delivery formulations.

Keywords

Zinc Oxide, Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, Ibuprofen, Enhancer, Skin Permeation.

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Narges Shokri ¹, Hamid Akbari Javar ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, P.O. Box: 56189-53141, IR
2 Department of Pharmaceutics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR

Abstract

Objective: Transdermal route of drug administration has absorbed largeinterests for its many advantages. Several materials, mainly different solvents and surfactants, have been used as excipients to enhance the skin permeation of drugs. Nanoparticles (NPs) also have been proved to affect the permeations of substances. ZnO-NPs, widely used in topical products, have been investigated in this study in terms of their effects on permeations of different substances (excipients) and therefore permeations of active ingredients.

Method: To determine the skin permeation of everysubstance, diffusion cell method and a cut of chicken skin were employed following by quantification of the substance concentration in the receiver medium after 1.5 hours.

Results: The substances showed different permeations. The ZnO-NPs increased the permeation of each substance. In the absence and also in the presence of the ZnO-NPs, the mean amounts permeated were respectively belonged to hydrophobic solvents, hydrophilic solvents, oily solvents and surfactants. The ZnO-NPs increased the permeation ofhydrophobic solvents, oily solvents, hydrophilic solvents and surfactants, with 31.33, 24, 20.33 and 5.34%, respectively. Such increases, were not dependent on the molecular weight (MW) of the oily and hydrophobic solvents but were dependent on the MW of the hydrophilic solvents and the surfactants.

Conclusion: The ZnO-NPs are suggested to be used for enhancing the skin permeations of solvents or surfactantsin topical products which potentially can improve absorption of active ingredients. Besides, such enhancing effect of the ZnO-NPs should be noticed in topical products where they may increase drug delivery dose and alsoincrease drug or excipient systemic toxicity.

Keywords

ZnO Nanoparticles, Skin Permeation, Solvent, Surfactant.

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