Sucrose esters as transdermal permeation enhancers

Abstract

Surfactants are widely used excipients in topical formulations, not only for their solubilizing and emulsifying properties but also for their well-known capacity to enhance drug permeation. Although nonionic surfactants are frequently chosen because of their mild effect on the skin, they share a low efficacy as permeation enhancers. Among nonionic surfactants, sucrose fatty acid esters (SEs) have awoken the interest of different research groups due to their interesting properties, such as biodegradability, nontoxicity, low irritation to the skin, and their ability to form liquid crystals and microemulsions (among other systems). Furthermore, as described in this chapter, SEs have shown a good capacity to enhance the transcutaneous transport of drugs. Their enhancing ability depends on different factors such as the physicochemical properties of the drug, the type of SEs, and the characteristics of the vehicle or the delivery system. This chapter gathers information about the studies related to SEs as transdermal penetration enhancers.