Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Percutaneous permeation enhancement by terpenes: mechanistic view
Bharti Sapra1, Subheet Jain, A K Tiwary
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002, India.
Abstract:
A popular approach for improving transdermal drug delivery involves the use of penetration enhancers (sorption promoters or accelerants) which penetrate into skin to reversibly reduce the barrier resistance. The potential mechanisms of action of penetration enhancers include disruption of intercellular lipid and/or keratin domains and tight junctions. This results in enhanced drug partitioning into tissue, altered thermodynamic activity/solubility of drug etc. Synthetic chemicals (solvents, azones, pyrrolidones, surfactants etc.) generally used for this purpose are rapidly losing their value in transdermal patches due to reports of their absorption into the systemic circulation and subsequent possible toxic effect upon long term application. Terpenes are included in the list of Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) substances and have low irritancy potential. Their mechanism of percutaneous permeation enhancement involves increasing the solubility of drugs in skin lipids, disruption of lipid/protein organization and/or extraction of skin micro constituents that are responsible for maintenance of barrier status. Hence, they appear to offer great promise for use in transdermal formulations. This article is aimed at reviewing the mechanisms responsible for percutaneous permeation enhancement activity of terpenes, which shall foster their rational use in transdermal formulations.
Related Concept Videos
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Permeability Enhancement
Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Drug Permeability, Stability and Stereochemistry
Carrier-Mediated Transport
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport
Pore transport, also known as convective transport, is a process where small molecules like urea, water, and sugars rapidly cross cell membranes as though there were channels or pores in the membrane. Although direct microscopic evidence is limited but the concept of pores or channels is widely accepted based on physiological evidence. Despite the lack of direct microscopic...
Non-Oral Extravascular Drug Absorption Routes
Lipophilic drugs that are stable at salivary pH (6) and exhibit minimal binding to the oral mucosa are absorbed more effectively...

