New sucrose cocoate based vesicles: Preparation, characterization and skin permeation studies

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Transdermal drug delivery systems aim to enhance therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance.
• Niosomes, a type of vesicular system, are explored for their potential in drug delivery.
• Sucrose cocoate, a non-ionic surfactant, offers a novel base for formulating niosomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel niosomes using sucrose cocoate for transdermal drug delivery.
• To investigate the influence of cholesterol on niosome properties and drug permeation.
• To evaluate the in vitro skin permeation of model drugs (Diclofenac and Sulfadiazine) from these niosomes.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of sucrose cocoate-based niosomes with and without cholesterol.
• Dimensional and morphological characterization of the prepared vesicles.
• In vitro skin permeation studies using Diclofenac and Sulfadiazine as model drugs.

Main Results:

• Sucrose cocoate successfully formed spherical, regular vesicles, with or without cholesterol.
• Niosome size was influenced by cholesterol content; larger vesicles formed in its absence.
• In vitro skin permeation of drugs from niosomes was significantly higher than from free solutions.
• Optimal drug permeation was observed with approximately 27 wt% cholesterol, balancing membrane stability and deformability.

Conclusions:

• Sucrose cocoate is a viable surfactant for creating niosomes for transdermal drug delivery.
• Cholesterol content modulates niosome size and drug release characteristics.
• These sucrose cocoate niosomes demonstrate enhanced transdermal drug permeation, offering a promising drug delivery strategy.