分子薬学および有機プロセス研究ジャーナル

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Role of Surfactants as Penetration Enhancer in Transdermal Drug Delivery System

Anushree Pandey, Ashu Mittal, Nitesh Chauhan and Sanjar Alam

Human skin is a remarkably efficient barrier, designed to keep ‘‘our insides in and the outsides out’’. This barrier property causes difficulties for transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents. One long-standing approach to increase the range of drugs that can be effectively delivered via this route has been to use penetration enhancers, chemicals that interact with skin constituents to promote drug flux.

To-date, a vast array of chemicals has been evaluated as penetration enhancers (or absorption promoters), yet their inclusion into topical or transdermal formulations is limited since the underlying mechanisms of action of these agents are seldom clearly defined. In this article we review some uses of the more widely investigated chemical penetration enhancers and discuss possible mechanisms of action.