The effect of clove oil on the transdermal delivery of ibuprofen in the rabbit by in vitro and in vivo methods

The study was designed to evaluate skin permeation enhancement effect of essential oils from Eugenia caryophyllata (clove oil) in rabbits and to compare the in vitro absorption and in vivo permeation using ibuprofen as a model drug. The in vitro results indicated a significant permeation enhancement effect of the clove oil. The group with 1% oil appeared to the flux (239 μg/cm²/hr), and 3% oil was 293 μg/cm²/hr to some extent similar with 2% azone group (327 μg/cm²/hr). The enhancement ratio of clove oil was 7.3. In vivo results also demonstrated that clove oil showed a significant permeation enhancement effect, but the enhancement of clove oil was relatively weak than in vitro. The group with 3% oil exhibited the higher value of area under the curve (AUC) of 80.8 μg/mL·hr, which was 2.4 times the high of control. The AUC value of 3% oil group was similar to that of 2% azone group (89.8 μg/mL·hr). The GC-MS results indicated eugenol and acetyleugenol identified from clove oil might mainly contribute to enhance in vitro and in vivo absorption of ibuprofen because of its large quantities (90.93%).