Physicochemical Characterization of Chitosan-Decorated Finasteride Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Skin Drug Delivery

January 2022 in “ BioMed Research International ”

Muhammad Sohaib, Shefaat Ullah Shah, Kifayat Ullah Shah, Kifayat Ullah Shah, Nauman Rahim Khan, Malik Muhammad Irfan, Zahid Rasul Niazi, Abdulsalam Alqahtani, Ali AlAsiri, Ismail A Walbi, Sajid Mahmood

chitosan finasteride solid lipid nanoparticles SLNs androgenic alopecia benign prostate hyperplasia high-speed homogenization zeta potential drug entrapment efficiency sustained drug release topical delivery Propecia topical finasteride

Studysummary This study reported that solid lipid nanoparticles of finasteride decorated with chitosan enhanced drug retention in skin layers, suggesting potential application in treating androgenic alopecia and benign prostate hyperplasia with fewer side effects. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study developed chitosan-decorated finasteride solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to enhance skin retention and reduce systemic side effects of finasteride, used for androgenic alopecia and benign prostate hyperplasia. The SLNs, created using high-speed homogenization, showed favorable particle size (10.10 nm to 144.2 nm), polydispersity index (0.244 to 0.412), zeta potential (8.9 mV to 62.6 mV), and drug entrapment efficiency (48.3% to 62%). Chitosan decoration improved drug retention in the skin and provided sustained drug release over 24 hours. Stability studies confirmed the formulations were stable for three months at temperatures between 5°C and 40°C. The findings suggest that chitosan-decorated SLNs could be a viable alternative for topical finasteride delivery, potentially reducing systemic side effects associated with oral administration.

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