Dutasteride Nanoemulsion Preparation to Inhibit 5-Alpha-Hair Follicle Reductase Enzymes in the Hair Follicle: An Ex Vivo Study
October 2022
in “
Iet Nanobiotechnology
”
TLDR The dutasteride nanoemulsion could improve hair loss treatment by enhancing drug penetration and retention in hair follicles.
The study developed a dutasteride nanoemulsion to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase enzymes in hair follicles, aiming to treat androgenic alopecia. Using soybean oil, surfactants (Tween 80 and Span 80), and ethanol, the nanoemulsion demonstrated good thermodynamic stability, small particle size, and high entrapment efficiency (EE%). The E formulation, with larger particles and no ethanol, showed the highest EE% and stability. Skin permeation tests using a Franz diffusion cell revealed a sustained release of dutasteride, with 34% released in the first 24 hours and 76% over 6 days. This method could enhance dutasteride's effectiveness in treating hair loss by improving its penetration and retention in hair follicles.
