Niosomal Delivery of Pumpkin Seed Oil: Development, Characterization, and Physical Stability

The study from five years ago focused on creating a niosomal formulation for the topical delivery of pumpkin seed oil (PSO), which has various health benefits including potential hair loss reduction. The researchers optimized the formulation by adjusting the surfactant types and the ratios of PSO, surfactant, and cholesterol. The most effective formulation, F1, with a PSO:Tween 20:cholesterol ratio of 2:2:1, achieved the highest entrapment efficiency of 75.99±14.65%. The niosomes were spherical, sized between 138-366 nm, and demonstrated good physical stability over three months at 30°C. The in vitro release of PSO from the niosomes followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model over a 48-hour period. The study concluded that the PSO-loaded niosomes, especially formulation F1, show promise for topical application in skin care and hair follicle treatment due to their efficient entrapment and stability.