Transferosomes Versus Transethosomes for the Dermal Delivery of Minoxidil: Preparation and In Vitro/Ex Vivo Appraisal

    Ayat Allam, Dina Fathalla, Mohamed Safwat, Ghareb M. Soliman
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    TLDR Minoxidil, a hair loss treatment, works better and has fewer side effects when put into tiny particles called transethosomes, especially those containing oleic acid.
    The study encapsulated minoxidil, a drug used for androgenic alopecia treatment, into transferosomes and transethosomes to enhance its efficacy and minimize side effects. The particle size of transethosomes (69.8 ± 1.4 to 167.4 ± 16.7 nm) was significantly smaller than that of transferosomes (148.0 ± 0.3 to 364.2 ± 5.0 nm). However, drug entrapment efficiency was lower for transethosomes (23.7 ± 3.2 to 47.2 ± 1.3%) compared to transferosomes (77.0 ± 1.3 to 79.2 ± 0.1%). Both transferosomes and transethosomes showed enhanced drug skin permeability (2.84- and 3.36-fold respectively) and higher drug skin deposition compared to the drug hydroalcoholic solution. Transethosomes containing oleic acid had the highest permeability through the skin, highest deposition in deep skin layers, and lowest deposition in stratum corneum, suggesting they might improve minoxidil efficacy in treating androgenic alopecia and reduce its side effects.
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