Reactive molecules derived from molecular oxygen and free radicals are commonly known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). These molecules have been suggested to produce oxidative stress in cells leading to many pathological problems like diabetes, cancer, inflammation, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging. Antioxidants can remove free radicals from the human body. Therefore, it is of remarkable interest to increase the bioavailability of antioxidant drugs by increasing transdermal delivery. Non-ionic surfactant vesicles or niosomes are drug carriers used to improve the dermal/transdermal bioavailability of drug supplied to the skin. The present work investigates the efficiency of ex-vivo transdermal delivery of the antioxidant plant extract Annona squamosa encapsulated into niosomes using 60 exponential electroporative pulses of field strength 100 V cm-1 and maximum pulse duration 4 m. It was observed that transdermal delivery was enhanced by applying electroporative pulses with the niosomes entrapping A. squamosa. The suggested experimental method (though in its preliminary stages), if developed further and evaluated in clinical studies (especially for its side effects), could possibly help eliminate harmful impurities and oxidants from body by topical drug enhancers that can be applied directly onto the skin.

Keywords: Exponentially decaying electric pulses, Annona squamosa, transdermal delivery, niosomes.