Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The effects of glycols on molecular mobility, structure, and permeability in stratum corneum

Kis, Nikolett LU ; Gunnarsson, Maria LU ; Berkó, Szilvia and Sparr, Emma LU (2022) In Journal of Controlled Release 343. p.755-764
Abstract

The skin provides an attractive alternative to the conventional drug administration routes. Still, it comes with challenges as the upper layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), provides an efficient barrier against permeation of most compounds. One way to overcome the skin barrier is to apply chemical permeation enhancers, which can modify the SC structure. In this paper, we investigated the molecular effect of three different types of glycols in SC: dipropylene glycol (diPG), propylene glycol (PG), and butylene glycol (BG). The aim is to understand how these molecules influence the molecular mobility and structure of the SC components, and to relate the molecular effects to the efficiency of these molecules as permeation... (More)

The skin provides an attractive alternative to the conventional drug administration routes. Still, it comes with challenges as the upper layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), provides an efficient barrier against permeation of most compounds. One way to overcome the skin barrier is to apply chemical permeation enhancers, which can modify the SC structure. In this paper, we investigated the molecular effect of three different types of glycols in SC: dipropylene glycol (diPG), propylene glycol (PG), and butylene glycol (BG). The aim is to understand how these molecules influence the molecular mobility and structure of the SC components, and to relate the molecular effects to the efficiency of these molecules as permeation enhancers. We used complementary experimental techniques, including natural abundance 13C NMR spectroscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction to characterize the molecular consequences of these compounds at different doses in SC at 97% RH humidity and 32 °C. In addition, we study the permeation enhancing effects of the same glycols in comparable conditions using Raman spectroscopy. Based on the results from NMR, we conclude that all three glycols cause increased mobility in SC lipids, and that the addition of glycols has an effect on the keratin filaments in similar manner as Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF). The highest mobility of both lipids and amino acids can be reached with BG, which is followed by PG. It is also shown that one reaches an apparent saturation level for all three chemicals in SC, after which increased addition of the compound does not lead to further increase in the mobility of SC lipids or protein components. The examination with Raman mapping show that BG and PG give a significant permeation enhancement as compared to SC without any added glycol at corresponding conditions. Finally, we observe a non-monotonic response in permeation enhancement with respect to the concentration of glycols, where the highest concentration does not give the highest permeation. This is explained by the dehydration effects at highest glycol concentrations. In summary, we find a good correlation between the molecular effects of glycols on the SC lipid and protein mobility, and macroscopic permeation enhances of the same molecules.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Chemical permeation enhancers, Drug delivery, Glycols, Molecular mobility, Raman spectroscopy, Solid-state NMR, Stratum corneum
in
Journal of Controlled Release
volume
343
pages
10 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85124942036
  • pmid:35150813
ISSN
0168-3659
DOI
10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.02.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4519d08c-f6d2-4b69-bf7b-d9fa02ac5dc3
date added to LUP
2022-04-12 14:33:16
date last changed
2024-06-18 03:11:26
@article{4519d08c-f6d2-4b69-bf7b-d9fa02ac5dc3,
  abstract     = {{<p>The skin provides an attractive alternative to the conventional drug administration routes. Still, it comes with challenges as the upper layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), provides an efficient barrier against permeation of most compounds. One way to overcome the skin barrier is to apply chemical permeation enhancers, which can modify the SC structure. In this paper, we investigated the molecular effect of three different types of glycols in SC: dipropylene glycol (diPG), propylene glycol (PG), and butylene glycol (BG). The aim is to understand how these molecules influence the molecular mobility and structure of the SC components, and to relate the molecular effects to the efficiency of these molecules as permeation enhancers. We used complementary experimental techniques, including natural abundance <sup>13</sup>C NMR spectroscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction to characterize the molecular consequences of these compounds at different doses in SC at 97% RH humidity and 32 °C. In addition, we study the permeation enhancing effects of the same glycols in comparable conditions using Raman spectroscopy. Based on the results from NMR, we conclude that all three glycols cause increased mobility in SC lipids, and that the addition of glycols has an effect on the keratin filaments in similar manner as Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF). The highest mobility of both lipids and amino acids can be reached with BG, which is followed by PG. It is also shown that one reaches an apparent saturation level for all three chemicals in SC, after which increased addition of the compound does not lead to further increase in the mobility of SC lipids or protein components. The examination with Raman mapping show that BG and PG give a significant permeation enhancement as compared to SC without any added glycol at corresponding conditions. Finally, we observe a non-monotonic response in permeation enhancement with respect to the concentration of glycols, where the highest concentration does not give the highest permeation. This is explained by the dehydration effects at highest glycol concentrations. In summary, we find a good correlation between the molecular effects of glycols on the SC lipid and protein mobility, and macroscopic permeation enhances of the same molecules.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kis, Nikolett and Gunnarsson, Maria and Berkó, Szilvia and Sparr, Emma}},
  issn         = {{0168-3659}},
  keywords     = {{Chemical permeation enhancers; Drug delivery; Glycols; Molecular mobility; Raman spectroscopy; Solid-state NMR; Stratum corneum}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{755--764}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Controlled Release}},
  title        = {{The effects of glycols on molecular mobility, structure, and permeability in stratum corneum}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.02.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.02.007}},
  volume       = {{343}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}