Use of penetration enhancers for increasing the in vitro release of fluconazole for topical application / Mohamad Solihin Sulaiman

Fluconazole is an antifungal agent used in the treatment of dermatophytes. The efficiency of the treatment depends on the rate of penetration of the drug into the skin. Topical preparations of fluconazole were prepared as ointment bases containing different penetration enhancers. The topical preparations such as oleaginous base, absorption base, 0/W emulsion base, W /0 emulsion and water-soluble base were tested for their rheological properties and the in-vitro drug release from the formulation. The penetration enhancers tested were Dimethyl sulfoxide, Propanol and Oleic acid. The results show that water-soluble base containing propanol as the penetration enhancer has the highest release of fluconazole as compared with other formulations. The tested penetration enhancers could be arranged in the following descending order with respect to the amount of fluconazole released: Propanol > Dimethyl sulfoxide > Oleic acid