Analysis Research Center and Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 3Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center.
J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2022;25:340-353. doi: 10.18433/jpps32921.
Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (DEGME) is a hydroalcoholic solvent that gained tremendous attention in the cosmetics, food, nanoformulations, and pharmaceutical industries. Due to its physicochemical features, it has been widely used as a penetration enhancer, surfactant, and solubilizer. Among numerous tradenames defined for DEGME -- Carbitol® (by Dow Chemical Co., USA), and Transcutol® HP, CG, and P. (by Gattefossé Co., France) -- are known to be employed in pharmaceutical industries. Transcutol® CG is utilized only in cosmetics; however, Transcutol® P and Carbitol® are both used in various pharmaceutical topical dosage forms such as creams, gels, etc. Additionally, Transcutol® HP is used in all administration routes. In view of this, the application of DEGME is highlighted in the areas of industry and pharmaceutical sciences. Moreover, in this review the prominent characteristics, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of DEGME are examined and it is suggested that DEGME is a promising solvent/solubilizer with comparable assignments to other conventional excipients.
二甘醇单乙醚（DEGME）是一种水醇溶剂，在化妆品、食品、纳米制剂和制药行业引起了极大的关注。由于其物理化学特性，它已被广泛用作渗透增强剂、表面活性剂和增溶剂。在为 DEGME 定义的众多商品名中——Carbitol®（美国陶氏化学公司）和 Transcutol® HP、CG 和 P.（法国 Gattefossé 公司）——已知在制药行业中使用。Transcutol® CG 仅用于化妆品；然而，Transcutol® P 和 Carbitol® 都用于各种药物局部剂型，如乳膏、凝胶等。此外，Transcutol® HP 用于所有给药途径。鉴于此，DEGME 的应用在工业和制药科学领域得到了强调。此外，在本综述中，研究了 DEGME 的突出特性、药代动力学和毒性，并提出 DEGME 是一种很有前途的溶剂/增溶剂，与其他常规赋形剂具有可比的作用。
