Pomegranate Seed Oil Enhances the Percutaneous Absorption of trans-Resveratrol

Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) is primarily composed of unsaturated fatty acids, implying its potential application as a transdermal enhancer. In this study, the function of PSO in prompting the percutaneous absorption of resveratrol was examined and compared with isopropyl palmitate (IP). IP of 10% enhanced the cumulative permeation amount of resveratrol by 50% but did not influence the permeation velocity. Though 2.5% and 5.0% IP accelerated the penetration process of resveratrol, they had no discernable impact on total permeation amount. In contrast, the cumulative percutaneous amount of the drug with 2.5%, 5.0% and 10% PSO was 1.25, 2.25, and 3.14-fold that of resveratrol alone, respectively. Moreover, PSO of different concentrations speeded up resveratrol to permeate through skin in the whole process, exhibiting its superior capacity over IP in enhancing the transdermal absorption of resveratrol. IP of 2.5% substantially augmented resveratrol retention in stratum corneum (SC), epidermis, and dermis (p < 0.05) while 2.5% PSO only increased the drug detaining in SC. Involvement of oils also aided in resveratrol diffusion within skin. The study demonstrates that both IP and PSO prompted the percutaneous transport of resveratrol. PSO presents more promising opportunities in serving as a percutaneous enhancer for transdermal preparations.