Effect of Transcutol P on Percutaneous Absorption of Gel Containing Pure Synthetic Caffeine or Plant-Extracted Natural Caffeine.

Abstract

Background: Caffeine, a safe methylxanthine, has been widely used for the treatment of skin diseases such as cellulite, hair loss, aging, and psoriasis. However, its skin penetration is low. Transcutol is a biocompatible, nonvolatile permeation enhancer which solubilize large number of drugs and does not change the integrity of the skin structure.

Materials and methods: In this study, the skin permeability of synthetic and natural caffeine gels was compared by ex vivo experiments. Furthermore, Transcutol P was used as a permeation enhancer, and its impact on skin permeation enhancement was determined.

Results: The skin penetration of caffeine from the formulation containing coffee extract, a type of natural caffeine, is higher than that of the formulation containing pure synthetic caffeine. This effect is likely due to the presence of coffee, which can act as a skin permeation enhancer. Additionally, the use of Transcutol P in a formulation containing coffee extract at a concentration of 2.5% caused the highest amount of flux. Therefore, the formulation of gel containing natural caffeine along with 2.5% Transcutol is optimal and can be used for further studies.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the addition of 2.5% Transcutol P in the formulation containing coffee extract resulted in the highest skin permeation.