Development of Minoxidil-Loaded Calcium Citrate Nanoparticles

January 2026 in “ New Journal of Chemistry ”

Suchanya Charoensin, Wittawat Keawsongsaeng, Thitiporn Pattarakankul, T. Palaga, Rojrit Rojanathanes

minoxidil androgenetic alopecia calcium citrate nanoparticles SEPIMAX ZEN transfollicular delivery Rogaine

TLDR Minoxidil-loaded nanoparticles improve hair loss treatment by enhancing delivery and reducing irritation.

This study addresses the limitations of Minoxidil (MNX) treatment for androgenetic alopecia by developing Minoxidil-loaded calcium citrate nanoparticles (MNX-CaCit NPs) to improve solubility and reduce irritation. The nanoparticles were synthesized using a simple precipitation method and optimized with SEPIMAX™ ZEN as a stabilizer, resulting in spherical particles with a diameter of approximately 300 nm, 74.6% encapsulation efficiency, and 10.2% drug loading. The formulation demonstrated excellent physical stability at various temperatures over 3 weeks and showed promising burst release profiles in vitro at pH 7.4 and 5.6. Cellular uptake and ex vivo porcine skin penetration studies confirmed effective transfollicular delivery to the hair root area, suggesting that the MNX-CaCit system is a stable and targeted platform for alopecia treatments.

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