DEVELOPMENT AND OPTIMIZATION OF NEW CAPSAICIN MICROEMULSIONS FOR TOPICAL ADMINISTRATION
Year: 2016
Journal: Farmacia
Authors: Cojocaru, V; Cinteza, LO; Popescu, M; Ionescu, N; Mircioiu, C
In this paper, microemulsions were formulated using pharmaceutically acceptable components for topical administration of capsaicin: isopropyl myristate (oil), Tween 80 (surfactant) and n-butanol/n-octanol (cosurfactants). The purpose of this study was to develop a new method for screening the optimal composition of microemulsions based upon the investigation of the minimum surfactant:cosurfactant ratio and the concentration of tensioactive reagents at which microemulsion formation occurs, by determining the interfacial tension at the liquid-liquid interface between pepper tincture and oil phases. Investigations were conducted for each surfactant-cosurfactant mixture. Also, a n-butanol/n-octanol-free system was considered. The results obtained from the interfacial tension measurements were compared with the ones generated by the titration method, proving the similarity between the two.
