Preparation and characterization of dutasteride-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers coated with stearic acid-chitosan oligomer for topical delivery
August 2017
in “European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics”
TLDR The new dutasteride formula can be applied to the skin, may promote hair growth, and has fewer side effects.
In the 2017 study, researchers developed dutasteride-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (DST-NLCs) coated with stearic acid-chitosan oligomer (CSO-SA) for topical delivery, aiming to enhance delivery to hair follicles and reduce systemic effects. The optimized formulation showed stable particle size and positive surface charge, indicating good interaction and potential stability. In vitro release studies indicated controlled drug release, and no dutasteride permeated through pig ear skin, suggesting low systemic absorption. The coated NLCs showed lower amounts of dutasteride in the skin compared to uncoated NLCs, and the cytotoxicity of dutasteride was significantly reduced when formulated in the nanoparticles, allowing for a higher concentration to be applied safely. The study concluded that the DST-NLCs coated with CSO-SA are suitable for topical delivery and could potentially be used for hair growth promotion. The number of samples tested in various assays ranged from n=3 to n=4, indicating a small scale of the study.
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