Niosomal Versus Cubosomal Gels of Cetirizine Hydrochloride: Cost-Effective Permeation Enhancement for Potential Transdermal Application

October 2025 in “ Pharmaceutical Development and Technology ”

Esraa M. Elboushy, Azza A. Hasan, Gehan F. Balata, Noura G. Eissa

cetirizine hydrochloride niosomal gels cubosomal gels androgenic alopecia skin permeation lipid mixtures cetirizine Aga

Studysummary In this study, cetirizine hydrochloride was formulated into niosomal and cubosomal gels, showing potential for off-label use in treating androgenic alopecia due to effective skin permeation and acceptable safety profiles; cubosomal gels exhibited superior permeation compared to niosomal gels.

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The study explored the development of cost-effective niosomal and cubosomal gels containing cetirizine hydrochloride for enhanced skin permeation, with potential off-label use in managing androgenic alopecia (Aga). Niosomes and cubosomes were prepared using different lipid mixtures and characterized for various properties. Cubosomes showed higher entrapment efficiency (98-99.20%) compared to niosomes (40.70-85.90%). Ex-vivo permeation studies indicated that cubosomal gels had a 6.2-fold increase in skin permeation, outperforming niosomal gels, which showed a 3.1-4.6-fold increase. Both cetirizine niosomal and cubosomal gels demonstrated acceptable skin permeation and safety profiles, indicating their potential in Aga management.

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