The aim of the present study was to make a comparison of the in vitro release rate of diclofenac sodium (DS) from microemulsion (M) vehicles containing soybean oil, nonionic surfactants (Brij 58 and Span 80), and different alcohols (ethanol [E], isopropyl alcohol [I], and propanol [P]) as cosurfactant. The optimum surfactant:cosurfactant (S:CoS) weight ratios and microemulsion areas were detected by the aid of phase diagrams. Three microemulsion formulations were selected, and their physicochemical properties were examined for the pH, viscosity, and conductivity. According to the release rate of DS, M prepared with P showed the significantly highest flux value (0.059 ± 0.018 mg/cm 2 /h) among all formulations (P G .05). The conductivity results showed that DS-loaded microemulsions have higher conductivity values (18.8-20.2 microsiemens/cm) than unloaded formulations (16.9-17.9 microsiemens/cm), and loading DS into the formulation had no negative effect on system stability. Moreover, viscosity measurements were examined as a function of shear rate, and Newtonian fluid characterization was observed for each microemulsion system. All formulations had appropriate observed pH values varying from 6.70 to 6.85 for topical application. A skin irritation study was performed with microemulsions on human volunteers, and no visible reaction was observed with any of the formulations. In conclusion, M prepared with P may be a more appropriate formulation than the other 2 formulations studied as drug carrier for topical application.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the in vitro and in vivo transdermal potential of w/o microemulsion (M) and gel (G) bases for diclofenac sodium (DS). The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a penetration enhancer was also examined when it was added to the M formulation. To study the in vitro potential of these formulations, permeation studies were performed with Franz diffusion cells using excised dorsal rat skin. To investigate their in vivo performance, a carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model was used. The commercial formulation of DS (C) was used as a reference formulation. The results of the in vitro permeation studies and the paw edema tests were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. The in vitro permeation studies found that M was superior to G and C and that adding DMSO to M increased the permeation rate. The permeability coefficients (Kp) of DS from M and M+DMSO were higher (Kp = 4.9 × 10 −3 ± 3.6 × 10 −4 cm/h and 5.3 × 10 −3 ± 1.2 × 10 −3 cm/h, respectively) than the Kp of DS from C (Kp = 2.7 × 10 −3 ± 7.3 × 10 −4 cm/h) and G (Kp = 4.5 × 10 −3 ± 4.5 × 10 −5 cm/h). In the paw edema test, M showed the best permeation and effectiveness, and M+DMSO had nearly the same effect as M. The in vitro and in vivo studies showed that M could be a new, alternative dosage form for effective therapy.

The ease of application and no requirement of extra energy input make the microemulsion method favorable for solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) production. Very limited data are available to date on preparation of SLNs from pre-screened microemulsion phase diagrams. The purpose of this study was to investigate the microemulsion formation area with solid lipids using hot ternary phase diagrams at elevated temperatures and to use selected microemulsions for SLN production. Also, we aimed to characterize obtained SLNs in terms of physicochemical properties, in vitro cell toxicity, and hemolysis. Phase diagrams of solid lipids were screened at elevated temperatures and oil-in-water microemulsion regions were determined. Microemulsions were selected, and SLNs were produced by modification of the microemulsion dilution method and characterized in terms of visual appearance, turbidity, particle size, and zeta potential. Cytotoxicity of nanoparticles was tested on L929 mouse skin fibroblast cells. Hemolytic potential was assessed in vitro using freshly isolated erythrocytes. The phase diagram screening and the modified hot microemulsion dilution method enabled production of SLNs with particle size below 100 nm. We found evidence that the solid lipids in the SLNs produced by the new method remain in supercooled liquid state. Nanoparticles prepared by the new method exhibit lower toxicity on L929 cells and have lower hemolytic potential than the formulations prepared by direct mixing of the components. The method can be used to prepare SLNs with controllable composition and small particle size below 100 nm. These SLNs are low toxic and can be used for drug delivery purposes.

In order to increase topical penetration of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac sodium, new microemulsion formulations were prepared to increase drug solubility and in vitro penetration of the drug. The influence of dimethyl sulfoxide and propylene glycol were also investigated as enhancers on the in vitro penetration of diclofenac sodium using Franz diffusion cells using excised dorsal rabbit skin. Factorial randomized design was performed to analyze the results of in vitro permeation studies. Microemulsions prepared with isopropyl alcohol were superior to those prepared with propanol. Enhancers had different effects depending on the formulation. Propylene glycol was superior to dimethyl sulfoxide when incorporated into isopropyl alcohol microemulsion, whereas dimethyl sulfoxide was superior to propylene glycol in propanol microemulsions. There were no observable histopathological differences between the skin of the control group and the treated groups at the light microscope level due to swelling of the skin tissue. The present study shows that microemulsion formulations containing isopropyl alcohol as co-surfactant and propylene glycol as enhancer represent a promising approach for a topical vehicle for diclofenac sodium. Drug Dev. Res. 65:17-25, 2005.

The aim of the study was to develop a novel oil/water microemulsion system to increase the cytotoxic effect of mitomycin C (MMC) on human lung cancer cell lines through comparison to the conventional MMC solution. The microemulsion formulation was composed of soybean oil, lecithin, Tween 80, ethanol, and water. Characterization of the microemulsions was carried out by means of particle size, viscosity, conductivity, storage stability, in vitro drug release, and in vitro hemolysis. Putative anticancer activity was determined using Calu1 and A549 carcinoma cell lines with an XTT [2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] cell proliferation assay. Drug release from the MMCloaded microemulsion was sustained for more than 5 h while release from MMC solution was completed within 2 h. Based on the results of cytotoxicity study, a higher anticancer effect was observed with mitomycin C-loaded microemulsion (MMC-M), with IC50 values being approximately twofold to fourfold higher than that seen with the MMC solution on Calu1 and A549 carcinoma cell lines, respectively. In conclusion, MMC microemulsion has several advantages including slower drug release, a more pronounced anticancer effect at lower MMC doses, potentially leading to lower systemic toxicity potential if leakage occurs from the tumor site. Drug Dev Res 73 : 185-195, 2012.