Development, characterization & in vitro skin permeation of rutin ethosomes as a novel vesicular carrier

Abstract

Objective : The aim of the present study was to formulate and characterize rutin ethosomes and to evaluate the rutin ethosomes to enhance its skin permeation rate as compared to parent drug, rutin. Materials and Methods : Rutin ethosomes were formulated by cold method and optimized using 2³ factorial design by design expert software (version 8.0). The optimized rutin ethosomes were characterized for particle size distribution, vesicular shape using scanning electron microscopy, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency and short term stability studies. A specially designed franz diffusion cell was used for the percutaneous absorption studies of optimized rutin ethosomes using pig ear skin and the results were analysed using DD solver 8 software. Results and Discussion : The entrapment efficiency of optimized ethosomes prepared using phospholipid concentration of 2.5 g with 30 ml ethanol for 12.5 minutes, was found to be maximum i.e. 73.9 %. Lipid vesicular system of rutin exhibited a negative zeta potential of -46.0 mV indicating a high degree of stability for rutin ethosomes. In vitro drug permeation studies of pure rutin and rutin ethosomes suggested that rutin ethosomes were better able to permeate across pig ear skin at the end of 120 minutes than pure rutin. Therefore, rutin ethosomes were better able to facilitate permeation of rutin deeply into the pig ear skin when compared with pure rutin. Conclusion : Rutin ethosomal formulation has tremendous potential to serve as a topical drug delivery system due to its enhanced rate of permeation.