Controlled release of diclofenac sodium in glycolipid incorporated micro emulsions.

The effect of the glycolipid, hexadecyl-ß-d-glucopyranoside, incorporated in microemulsions (ME(1)) towards the enhancement of skin absorption and skin permeation of Diclofenac sodium (DS(2)) was evaluated. A Franz diffusion cell with a piece of pig's ear epidermis indicated that the optimized ME formulation with glycolipid (0.05wt%) exhibited significantly higher permeability than the conventional formulations. The releasing profiles of DS from ME formulations exhibited first order release kinetics resembling a diffusion controlled release model for the first 8h. Incorporating hexadecyl-ß-D glucopyranoside in ME formulations shows significant potential as a delivery vehicle in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry.