In vitro human skin permeation of ursolic acid from solid dispersions carried in poloxamer-based hydrogel

Abstract

Cutaneous inflammation involves the release of several inflammatory mediators, which when in excess can be harmful and cause the development of inflammatory chronic skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Furthermore, the activation of Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) is required for the production of cytokines and other proinflammatory proteins. This cell pathway has been pointed out as an underlying cause of pathogenesis of chronic skin disorders. Ursolic acid is a naturally occurring triterpenoid that inhibits the NF-kB, representing a promising candidate for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. However, its low solubility in aqueous medium affects its therapeutic application. Among the several strategies that can be used to improve hydrophobic drug solubility, solid dispersions composed by polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30 and poloxamer 407 or D-±-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate can be an interesting approach. Moreover, solid dispersion carried in poloxamer-based hydrogel can optimize the topic administration of the ursolic acid in the skin, since it favors its accumulation in the layers of the skin. In this project we will evaluate the in vitro permeation and penetration in the human skin of ursolic acid from solid dispersion carried in poloxamer-based hydrogel. (AU)