Assessment of curcumin release with different permeation enhancers

The aim of this study was to improve the transdermal permeation of curcumin. Permeation studies were carried out in vitro using porcine ear skin as a membrane. A total of six cream formulations of turmeric extract were formulated using different penetration enhancers such as ethanol, occlusive agents, dimethyl sulphoxide and tween 80. The amount of curcumin permeated during a time period of four hours was noted. The highest amount of penetration was obtained with formula 3 which contained excess amount of white soft paraffin as the occlusive agent. These results suggest that formulation of curcumin with occlusive agents such as white soft paraffin may be an effective method for topical drug delivery.