In Vitro Evaluation of Topical Follicular Delivery of Minoxidil and Latanoprost Co-Entrapped in Lipid Nanocarriers
February 2026
The study evaluated the in vitro delivery of minoxidil and latanoprost co-encapsulated in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) to hair follicles in porcine skin. Results showed that NLCs significantly enhanced the delivery of latanoprost to pilosebaceous units (PSUs), with a 3-fold increase compared to controls, while minoxidil delivery was 1.4 times higher. The aqueous NLC formulation was more effective than the serum formulation for latanoprost, achieving 5.6- and 6.3-fold greater accumulation in PSU and non-PSU models, respectively. Massage further improved drug delivery by approximately 1.5-fold. These findings suggest that NLCs are a promising approach for targeted topical treatment of alopecia.