Ion mobility spectrometry as a high-throughput technique for in vitro transdermal Franz diffusion cell experiments of ibuprofen

Rapid, low-cost and sensitive analytical methods are needed to analyse the large number of samples that are generated when investigating the absorption profile of drugs through the skin using Franz diffusion cell experiments (FDC). The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) for the quantitative analysis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in transdermal research. Ibuprofen was used as a model drug and the optimal IMS parameters were determined using a Doehlert experimental design. To assess the usefulness of the IMS method, FDC experiments using human skin were conducted, covering a concentration range of 0.32–69.57 μg/ml. The resulting analytical samples were analysed using IMS and subsequently compared to HPLC as a reference method. No significant differences were found between the results obtained using both analytical methods, with a mean skin permeability coefficient (Kp) value of 0.013 cm/h. The combination of fast detection times, sensitivity, low costs and easy maintenance of IMS instruments makes this technique an attractive alternative for HPLC in this type of experiments.