Studying in vitro release of dexchlorpheniramine maleate from aqueous phases and water/oil emulsions (creams) with various penetration enhancers

Abstract

The effect of various penetration enhancers on the permeation of dexchlorpheniramine maleate from a 2 wt% aqueous phase and from water/oil emulsions (creams) was studied using a modified Franz diffusion cell. A polyamide membrane filter (modeling a biomembrane) was impregnated with n-octanol, sandwiched between two dialysis membranes, and placed between the source and receiver compartments. The permeation coefficient in the aqueous phase was 270 times greater than that in the cream, while the lag time was 3.5 times longer in the cream. A mixture of isopropyl myristate and ethanol (8 : 2) gave the highest enhancement ratio, while oleic acid acted as a penetration retardant in the cream formulation.