Effects of lecithin-based nanoemulsions on skin: Short-time cytotoxicity MTT and BrdU studies, skin penetration of surfactants and additives and the delivery of curcumin

Claudia Vater, Victoria Hlawaty, Patricia Werdenits, Malgorzata Anna Cichon, Victoria Klang (Corresponding author), Adelheid Elbe-Bürger, Michael Wirth, Claudia Valenta

    Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

    Abstract

    Surfactants are important ingredients in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations, as in creams, shampoos or shower gels. As conventional emulsifiers such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) have fallen into disrepute due to their skin irritation potential, the naturally occurring lecithins are being investigated as a potential alternative. Thus, lecithin-based nanoemulsions with and without the drug curcumin, known for its wound healing properties, were produced and characterised in terms of their particle size, polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential and compared to SDS-based formulations. In vitro toxicity of the produced blank nanoemulsions was assessed with primary human keratinocytes and fibroblasts using two different cell viability assays (BrdU and EZ4U). Further, we investigated the penetration profiles of the deployed surfactants and oil components using combined ATR-FTIR/tape stripping experiments and confirmed the ability of the lecithin-based nanoemulsions to deliver curcumin into the stratum corneum in tape stripping-UV/Vis experiments.

    All manufactured nanoemulsions showed droplet sizes under 250 nm with satisfying PDI and zeta potential values. Viability assays with human skin cells clearly indicated that lecithin-based nanoemulsions were superior to SDS-based formulations. ATR-FTIR tests showed that lecithin and oil components remained in the superficial layers of the stratum corneum, suggesting a low risk for skin irritation. Ex vivo tape stripping experiments revealed that the kind of oil used in the nanoemulsion seemed to influence the depth of curcumin penetration into the stratum corneum.

    Translated title of the contributionEffekt von Lezithin-basierten Nanoemulsionen auf Haut: Kurzzeitige MTT und BrdU - Zytotoxizitätstests, Hautpenetration von Tensiden, weiteren Hilfsstoffen und Curcumin
    Original languageEnglish
    Article number119209
    Number of pages10
    JournalInternational Journal of Pharmaceutics
    Volume580
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 30 Apr 2020

    Austrian Fields of Science 2012

    • 301208 Pharmaceutical technology

    Keywords

    • ATR-FTIR
    • BrdU-assay
    • COMBINED ATR-FTIR
    • Curcumin
    • Cytotoxicity
    • DRUG
    • EAR
    • INFRARED-SPECTROSCOPY
    • Lecithin
    • MTT-assay
    • Nanoemulsions
    • OILS
    • PARAMETERS
    • PHOSPHOLIPIDS
    • Phospholipids
    • SOLUBILITY
    • STRATUM-CORNEUM
    • Skin penetration
    • Surfactants
    • Tape stripping
    • VALIDATION

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