ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study transdermal absorption characteristics of eugenol in compound Nanxing pain-relieving cataplasm, and discuss the effect of gaultherolin on the transdermal absorption of the cataplasm.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The improved franz diffusing cell was adopted with hairless mice skins as transdermal carriers. The content of eugenol in receptor liquid, skins and cataplasm were analyzed by HPLC and compared with the cataplasm without gaultherolin.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The penetration rates of eugenol of cataplasms with and without gaultherolin were 13.18 and 9.58 microg x cm(-2) x h(-1), with the retention amount in skins of (185.02 +/- 19.23) and (160.23 +/- 16.54) microg x g(-1) and the retention amount in cataplasms was (1.96 +/- 0.12) and (1.71 +/- 0.15) mg, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Eugenol in compound Nanxing pain-relieving cataplasm has good pereutaoeous permeation. Gaultherolin in the cataplasm prescription can promote the absorption of eugenol.</p>