Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Open Access

Abstract

Transdermal Delivery of Lavandula angustifolia and Valencia Orange Essential Oils Using Gum-karaya Patches

Rotha Z, Shcherbinab Y and Nussinovitchb A

Using of skin patch is innovative, practical and promising approach for transdermal medicine delivery. Two sets of experiments were performed using Franz diffusion cells [FC] apparatus and animal model to study the passage of essential oil, Lavandula angustifolia or Valencia orange from Gum-karay hydrocolloid patch through the skin. Findings from the FC model revealed a steady-state fluxes from the patch to the medium; 1.9 × 10-4 mg.cm-2h-1 for d-limonene a component of orange essential oil, and 0.018 and 4.3 × 10-4 mg.cm-2h-1 for lavender components, linalool and camphor, respectively. When lavender and almond oil mixture was applied by rubbing, 0.027 and 5.7 × 10-4 mg.cm-2h-1 were calculated for linalool and camphor, respectively. In the in- vivo part of the study, we examined the diffusion of essential oil from the patch and its components penetration through the skin to the rat circulation. Findings indicated a better transferring when patches, contained essential oil, were adhered to the abdomen rather than the back skin of the animal. Some of the essential oil components were entrapped within the skin, resulting in differential penetration to the blood. In light of these we suggest that a specific essential oil should be consider as a mixture of ingredients rather one component. Moreover, the transfer and penetration from the patch through the skin to the blood seems to be a multifactorial in nature. While some factors are associated with the essential-oil features others associated with the patch topography and physical or chemical properties. Taking together, the current study extended the understanding on the passage pattern of essential oil through the skin and explored the potential of essential-oil patches for commercial use.