Effect of Surfactants on Preparation and Skin Penetration of Tea Polyphenols Liposomes

Liposomes appear a promising approach as a drug-carrier system for topical application. The principal of this study was to investigate the influence of surfactants polyoxyethylene (40) stearate (S-40) and Tween 20 on the preparation and skin penetration of tea polyphenols (TP) liposomes. TP liposomes modified by surfactants were prepared by improved inverse-phase evaporation method. The particle size and distribution were determined by photon correlation spectroscopy. Due to the addition of surfactants, the preparation procedure was relatively simple, easy and rapid compared with the previous inverse-phase evaporation method. The mean particle sizes of TP liposomes modified by surfactants were 172.4 nm and 172.7 nm under optimal experimental conditions. The percutaneous absorption experiments of TP liposomes modified by surfactants through the rabbit skin were conducted using self-made Franz diffusion cell in vitro. The mean particle size and amount of surfactants could affect the percutaneous absorption characteristic of TP liposomes modified by surfactants. The optimal penetration coefficient was 20.79 mug-cm^-2-h^-1.