ABSTRACT
AIM To compare the percutaneous penetration performance of three paeonol gels.METHODS Franz diffusion cell method was applied to investigating the penetration and retention behaviors of eutectic mixturebased nanoemulsion,ordinary nanoemulsion and saturated solution gels onto mouse skins in vitro.The retention and permeation amounts in stratum corneum and hair follicles of volunteers smeared with gels were compared by tape stripping method.RESULTS The accumulative permeation and retention amounts of various gels onto mouse skins in vitro were in sequence of eutectic mixture-based nanoemulsion gel ＞ ordinary nanoemulsion gel ＞ saturated solution gel.The main retention of all the three gels was observed on the volunteers' skin surface,and the permeation amounts of eutectic mixture-based nanoemulsion,ordinary nanoemulsion gels,and their accumulative permeation amounts in stratum corneum and hair follicles were significantly higher than those of saturated solution gel (P ＜0.05).CONCLUSION Nanoemulsion technology can significantly promote the percutaneous penetration performance of paeonol.