Self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system incorporated in natural hydrogels: a new way for topical application of vitamin C

Abstract

This study aimed at the in vitro evaluation of topical hydrogels containing vitamin C-loaded self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system (SDEDDS). The liquid SDEDDS was converted into suitable unmodified xanthan gum hydrogels formulation and the prepared semi-solid hydrogels provided appropriate gel characteristics like pH, viscosity, spreadability, etc. The 5-week storage test displayed that the prepared hydrogels possessed good physicochemical stability. In addition, no significant cytotoxicity to L929 cells was observed for the vitamin C-loaded SDEDDS-based hydrogels, and the prepared hydrogels depicted a sustained drug release over an 8-h period. In vitro permeation study showed that the vitamin C-loaded SDEDDS-based hydrogels could significantly enhance vitamin C retention in the skin and permeation through the skin. The overall results demonstrated that the hydrogels containing vitamin C-loaded SDEDDS could be considered as a promising formulation for topical application.

Keywords:

• Vitamin C
• self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system
• hydrogels
• xanthan gum
• topical application

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Prospective Joint Research Project of Jiangsu Province of China [Grant No. BY2016076-10].