DEPOSITION ON THE SKIN OF PARTICLES OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS FROM DETERGENT BASES

Formulation and Artificial Sebum Effects on the Percutaneous Absorption of Zinc Pyrithione through Excised Human Skin

BACKGROUND

Zinc pyrithione (ZnPT) is deposited on the skin as a fine particulate and must reach microorganisms localized in the stratum corneum and hair follicles in molecular form to exert its broad-spectrum antimicrobial/antifungal activity. Dissolution of ZnPT particles followed by molecular speciation results in the organic portion, i.e. pyrithione, being more susceptible to skin penetration than the inorganic component, i.e. zinc, or the chelate itself, i.e. ZnPT.

OBJECTIVES

To further test the hypothesis that ZnPT skin penetration is rate-limited by dissolution and molecular speciation, the effect of different formulations and artificial sebum on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of radiolabel associated with Zn[14C]PT was investigated.

METHOD

In vitro penetration of [14C]PT into and through excised human skin was measured following application of Zn[14C]PT prepared as suspensions in distinct vehicles including water-based carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), diluted body wash comprised of surfactants, and castor oil, in the presence and absence of artificial sebum.

RESULTS

The steady-state flux and cumulative absorption of Zn[14C]PT increased 4- to 5-fold when deposited from a body wash or castor oil compared to a water-based CMC suspension. Tritiated water flux measured before and after treatment showed that neither the surfactant vehicle nor castor oil significantly altered barrier function versus water alone. An artificial sebum layer on the skin potentiated Zn[14C]PT and 3H2O absorption when dosed from both aqueous formulations, but not from castor oil.

CONCLUSION

These data are consistent with the hypothesis that ZnPT percutaneous absorption, as measured by [14C]PT kinetics, is controlled by particle dissolution and molecular speciation.

Zinc pyrithione in alcohol-based products for skin antisepsis: persistence of antimicrobial effects

Alcohol-based products for skin antisepsis have a long history of safety and efficacy in the United States and abroad. However, alcohol alone lacks the required antimicrobial persistence to provide for the sustained periods of skin antisepsis desired in the clinical environment. Therefore, alcohol-based products must have a preservative agent such as iodine/iodophor compounds, chlorhexidine gluconate, or zinc pyrithione, to extend its antimicrobial effects. Iodine, iodophors, and chlorhexidine gluconate are well-characterized antimicrobials and preservatives. The thrust of our effort was to examine the characteristics of the lesser-known zinc pyrithione and to evaluate its utility as a preservative in the formulation of alcohol-based products for skin antisepsis. This work includes a literature review of current zinc pyrithione applications in drugs and cosmetics, a safety and toxicity evaluation, consideration of the proposed mechanisms of antimicrobial action, in vitro and in vivo efficacy data, and a discussion of the mechanisms that confer the desired antimicrobial persistence. In addition, alcohol-based, zinc pyrithione-preserved, commercially available products of skin antisepsis are compared with other commercially available antimicrobials used for skin antisepsis and with additional alcohol-based products with different preservatives. The authors' conclusion is that zinc pyrithione is not only a safe and effective antimicrobial but that its use in certain alcohol-based formulations results in antimicrobial efficacy exceeding that of iodine and chlorhexidine gluconate.

Comparative percutaneous absorption of pyrithiones

The percutaneous absorption of 3H or 35S labelled pyridine-2-thione-N-oxide (PT) through the skin of rat, rabbit and guinea pigs in vivo is reported. The sodium (Na) zinc (Zn) and zirconium (Zr) derivatives of PT were studied and the effects of duration of contact and concentration of the NaPT and ZnPT in test solutions were examined. Shampoo test solutions containing the isotopically labelled PT were applied to the skin of the animals. The skins were then rinsed, the treated areas of skin protected and excreta were monitored for the isotope for 2 days after treatment. Penetration was calculated from the amounts of isotope in the excreta. Further groups of animals were treated with test solutions applied under occlusive patches for 6 h before rinsing the skin. The turnover of Na and ZnPT in the three species after intraperitoneal and subcutaneous injection was measured. All three species rapidly excreted the injected isotope principally via the urine. The comparative penetration of the three PT samples was Na greater than Zr greater than Zn from all treatments. The comparative permeability of the animals' skins to these PTs was rabbit greater than rat greater than guinea pig. NaPT penetration was found to be dependent upon duration of contact and concentration in the test solution whereas the penetration of ZnPT was found to be proportional to concentration but independent of duration of contact of the test solution. Extrapolation of these findings to the use of shampoos containing up to 1% (w/v) ZnPT by man indicated an adequate margin of safety for use of this type of product.