Chemical Enhancers or Transcutaneous Conductors: Transcutol

Abstract

The concept of enhancers or transcutaneous conductors and their classification and mechanism of action are discussed. Special attention is paid to transcutol, a conductor with pronounced solubilizing and penetrating properties that facilitates the accumulation of locally applied medicines in the skin lipid layer without perturbing its structure. The transcutaneous action effectiveness of chemical enhancers is shown to depend on not only the structure and concentration but also the physicochemical characteristics of the penetrating drugs. Diffusional transport in the stratum corneum and the ability to monitor the occurring processes can be used to optimize the design of drugs for transcutaneous targeted delivery.