Lecithin-linker formulations for self-emulsifying delivery of nutraceuticals.

Lecithin-linker microemulsions are formulations produced with soybean lecithin in combination with a highly lipophilic (lipophilic linker) and highly hydrophilic (hydrophilic linkers) surfactant-like additives. In this work, lecithin-linker systems were formulated to produce self-emulsifying delivery systems for β-carotene and β-sitosterol. The concentration of the lipophilic linker, sorbitan monooleate, was adjusted to minimize the formation of liquid crystals.

Effect of surfactant concentration on transdermal lidocaine delivery with linker microemulsions.

A limited number of studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of surfactant concentration on microemulsion-mediated transdermal transport. Some studies suggest that increasing surfactant concentration reduces the partition of the active in the skin, and the overall transport. Other studies suggest that increasing surfactant concentration improves mass transport across membranes by increasing the number of "carriers" available for transport.