Designing, Optimizing, and Assessing a Novel Emulgel Containing Minoxidil for Controlled Drug Release Using Marine-Based Polymers

The study aimed to develop a minoxidil-containing emulgel for promoting hair growth in conditions like androgenetic alopecia, using gelling agents chitosan and fucoidan. The best formulation, X2, contained 2.54% chitosan and 0.896% fucoidan. Chitosan extended the drug release duration, while fucoidan enhanced the gelling activity, water absorption rate, and formulation stability. The X2 formulation showed the highest drug release percentage (99.7%) at the 12th hour, following a zero-order release model. The study concluded that fucoidan's wide range of biological activities can protect the active substance and improve its potency, leading to effective treatment. It is predicted that fucoidan will be widely used in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries in the future.