Journal Article

Esters of terpene alcohols as highly potent, reversible, and low toxic skin penetration enhancers

Kopečná, Monika, Vávrová, Kateřina, Nováčková, Anna, Macháček, Miloslav, Roh, Jaroslav, Paraskevopoulos, Georgios

2019

Overview

Skin penetration/permeation enhancers are compounds that improve (trans)dermal drug delivery. We designed hybrid terpene-amino acid enhancers by conjugating natural terpenes (citronellol, geraniol, nerol, farnesol, linalool, perillyl alcohol, menthol, borneol, carveol) or cinnamyl alcohol with 6-(dimethylamino)hexanoic acid through a biodegradable ester linker. The compounds were screened for their ability to increase the delivery of theophylline and hydrocortisone through and into human skin ex vivo . The citronellyl, bornyl and cinnamyl esters showed exceptional permeation-enhancing properties (enhancement ratios up to 82) while having low cellular toxicities. The barrier function of enhancer-treated skin (assessed by transepidermal water loss and electrical impedance) recovered within 24 h. Infrared spectroscopy suggested that these esters fluidized the stratum corneum lipids. Furthermore, the citronellyl ester increased the epidermal concentration of topically applied cidofovir, which is a potent antiviral and anticancer drug, by 15-fold. In conclusion, citronellyl 6-(dimethylamino)hexanoate is an outstanding enhancer with an advantageous combination of properties, which may improve the delivery of drugs that have a limited ability to cross biological barriers.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 3T3 Cells / 631/92/314 / 692/308/153 / 692/699/4033 / Administration, Cutaneous / Alcohol / Alcohols / Alcohols - chemistry / Alcohols - pharmacology / Amino acids / Animals / Antiviral agents / Biodegradability / Biodegradation / Borneol / Carveol / Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Cidofovir / Cidofovir - administration & dosage / Cidofovir - chemistry / Cidofovir - pharmacokinetics / Citronellol / Cosmetics industry / Drug Compounding - methods / Drug delivery / Electrical impedance / Epidermis - drug effects / Epidermis - metabolism / Esters / Esters - chemistry / Esters - pharmacology / Farnesol / Humanities and Social Sciences / Humans / Hydrocortisone / Hydrocortisone - administration & dosage / Hydrocortisone - chemistry / Hydrocortisone - pharmacokinetics / Infrared spectroscopy / Keratinocytes / Linalool / Lipid Metabolism - drug effects / Lipids / Menthol / Mice / Monoterpenes - chemistry / multidisciplinary / Perillyl alcohol / Permeability - drug effects / Pharmaceutic Aids - chemistry / Pharmaceutic Aids - pharmacology / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Skin / Stratum corneum / Structure-Activity Relationship / Terpenes / Terpenes - chemistry / Terpenes - pharmacology / Theophylline / Theophylline - administration & dosage / Theophylline - chemistry / Theophylline - pharmacokinetics / Toxicity Tests, Acute / Water loss / Water Loss, Insensible - drug effects