Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate vesicular carriers for topical delivery; preparation, in-vitro and ex-vivo evaluation, factorial optimization and clinical assessment in melasma patients

Duo photoprotective effect via silica-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles and Vitamin C nanovesicles composites

OBJECTIVE

Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are used widely in nowadays personal care products, especially sunscreens, as a protector against UV irradiation. Yet, they have some reports of potential toxicity. Silica is widely used to cage ZnO NPs to reduce their potential toxicity. Vitamin C derivative, Magnesium Ascorpyl Phosphate (MAP), is a potent antioxidant that can efficiently protect human skin from harmful impacts of UV irradiation and oxidative stress. The combination of silica coated ZnO NPs and MAP nanovesicles could have potential synergistic protective effect against skin photodamage.

METHODS

Silica coated ZnO NPs and MAP nanovesicles (ethosomes and niosomes) were synthesized, formulated, and evaluated as topical gels. These gel formulations were evaluated in mice for their photoprotective effect against UV irradiation through histopathology and immuno-histochemistry study. Split-face clinical study was conducted to compare the effect of application of silica coated ZnO NPs either alone or combined with MAP nanovesicles. Their photoprotective action was evaluated, using Antera 3D® camera, for melanin level, roughness index and wrinkles depth.

RESULTS

Silica coated ZnO NPs when combined with MAP nanovesicles protected mice skin from UV irradiation and decreased the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines, NF-κB. Clinically, silica coated ZnO NPs, alone or combined with MAP nanovesicles, could have significant effect to decrease melanin level, roughness index and wrinkles depth with higher effect for the combination.

CONCLUSION

A composite of silica coated ZnO NPs and MAP nanovesicles could be a promising cosmetic formulation for skin protection against photodamage signs such as hyperpigmentation, roughness, and wrinkles.

Unlocking the potential of cosmetic dermal delivery with ethosomes: A comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

In a world where hair loss, acne, and skin whitening are common concerns, ethosomes emerge as a captivating breakthrough in cosmetic drug delivery.

METHOD

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the ethosomal system and assesses its potential as an effective nanocarrier for delivering active ingredients to the skin. The focus is on exploring their applications in various pathologies, particularly skin disorders such as acne, hair loss, and skin pigmentation.

RESULTS

Ethosomes are a novel type of vesicular nanocarrier composed of high concentrations of ethanol (20-45%) and phospholipids. Their unique structure and composition make them an ideal choice for transporting active ingredients through the skin, offering targeted and effective treatment. The inclusion of ethanol in ethosomes' composition gives them distinctive properties, including flexibility, deformability, and stability, facilitating deep penetration into the skin and enhancing medication deposition. Moreover, ethosomes improved theoverall drug-loading capacity, and specificity of target treatment CONCLUSION: Ethosomes represent a unique and suitable approach for delivering active cosmetic ingredients in the treatment of hair loss, acne, and skin whitening, presenting a versatile alternative to traditional dermal delivery systems. Despite the challenges associated with their complex preparation and sensitivity to temperature and humidity, the remarkable potential benefits of ethosomes cannot be ignored. Further research is crucial to unlock their full potential, understand their limitations, and refine their formulations and administration methods. Ethosomes hold the promise of transforming the way we address these cosmetic concerns, offering an exciting glimpse into the future of advanced skincare solutions.

Thyme Oil-Containing Fluconazole-Loaded Transferosomal Bigel for Transdermal Delivery

The objective of the present research was to develop fluconazole-loaded transferosomal bigels for transdermal delivery by employing statistical optimization (23 factorial design-based). Thin-film hydration was employed to prepare fluconazole-loaded transferomal suspensions, which were then incorporated into bigel system. A 23 factorial design was employed where ratios of lipids to edge activators, lipids (soya lecithin to cholesterol), and edge activators (sodium deoxycholate to Tween 80) were factors. Ex vivo permeation flux (Jss) of transferosomal bigels across porcine skin was analyzed as response. The optimal setting for optimized formulation (FO) was A= 4.96, B= 3.82, and C= 2.16. The optimized transferosomes showed 52.38 ± 1.76% DEE, 76.37 nm vesicle size, 0.233 PDI, - 20.3 mV zeta potential, and desirable deformability. TEM of optimized transferosomes exhibited a multilamelar structure. FO bigel's FE-SEM revealed a globule-shaped vesicular structure. Further, the optimized transferosomal suspension was incorporated into thyme oil (0.1% w/w)-containing bigel (TO-FO). Ex vivo transdermal fluconazole permeation from different transferosomal bigels was sustained over 24 h. The highest permeation flux (4.101 μg/cm2/h) was estimated for TO-FO bigel. TO-FO bigel presented 1.67-fold more increments of antifungal activity against Candida albicans than FO bigel. The prepared thyme oil (0.1% w/w)-containing transfersomal bigel formulations can be used as topical delivery system to treat candida related fungal infections.

A turn-on chemiluminescent assay for alkaline phosphatase using two-dimensional Fe-centered metal-organic frameworks as the signaling probe

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an essential enzyme involved in cell phosphorus metabolism. Developing sensitive and accurate ALP quantitative assays is significant. In this study, a turn-on chemiluminescence (CL) analysis platform for the detection of ALP activity in human serum was established based on two-dimensional (2D) Fe-centered metal-organic frameworks with 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid as ligands (denoted as 2D Fe-BTC). The 2D Fe-BTC as the signaling probe reacts with ascorbic acid forming reduced Fe-BTC which catalyzes the luminol CL reaction producing a strong CL signal. The 2D Fe-BTC-based luminol CL reaction exhibited good CL responses when the concentration of ascorbic acid was in the range of 5-500 nM. By employing magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) as the substrate which can be hydrolyzed by ALP to generate ascorbic acid, a turn-on CL assay for the detection of ALP was established. Under optimal conditions, as low as 0.00046 U L-1 of ALP could be sensitively detected with a linear range of 0.001-0.1 U L-1. ALP in human serum can be detected after a simple dilution process without any other pretreatment.

New Insights in Topical Drug Delivery for Skin Disorders: From a Nanotechnological Perspective

Skin, the largest organ in humans, is an efficient route for the delivery of drugs as it circumvents several disadvantages of the oral and parenteral routes. These advantages of skin have fascinated researchers in recent decades. Drug delivery via a topical route includes moving the drug from a topical product to a locally targeted region with dermal circulation throughout the body and deeper tissues. Still, due to the skin's barrier function, delivery through the skin can be difficult. Drug delivery to the skin using conventional formulations with micronized active components, for instance, lotions, gels, ointments, and creams, results in poor penetration. The use of nanoparticulate carriers is one of the promising strategies, as it provides efficient delivery of drugs through the skin and overcomes the disadvantage of traditional formulations. Nanoformulations with smaller particle sizes contribute to improved permeability of therapeutic agents, targeting, stability, and retention, making nanoformulations ideal for drug delivery through a topical route. Achieving sustained release and preserving a localized effect utilizing nanocarriers can result in the effective treatment of numerous infections or skin disorders. This article aims to evaluate and discuss the most recent developments of nanocarriers as therapeutic agent vehicles for skin conditions with patent technology and a market overview that will give future directions for research. As topical drug delivery systems have shown great preclinical results for skin problems, for future research directions, we anticipate including in-depth studies of nanocarrier behavior in various customized treatments to take into account the phenotypic variability of the disease.

Quantitative evaluation of sensitive skin by ANTERA 3D ® combined with GPSkin Barrier ®

BACKGROUND

At present, there are many different evaluation methods for sensitive skin, including subjective, semisubjective, and objective evaluation. Various objective tests focus on assessing changes in barrier functions. It is anticipated that the ANTERA 3D®, in combination with GPSkin Barrier®, will provide better evaluation of sensitive skin.

METHODS

A total of 20 subjects with sensitive skin and 20 healthy participants were recruited. Sensitive skin subjects were treated with an anti-sensitive moisturizing tolerance-extreme cream which has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effects, twice daily on the whole face for 28 days. VISIA^® Skin Detector was used to record clinical images and red area. GPSkin Barrier^® was used to measure TEWL and SCH. Texture, hemoglobin, and influenced area (mm² ) were recorded using ANTERA 3D^® . Subjects underwent skin tests and recorded changes at D0 and D28. Data were only collected from healthy participants who did not receive treatment as controls.

RESULTS

TEWL, texture, hemoglobin, and affected area in sensitive skin group were significantly higher than those in healthy group, while SCH was significantly lower than that in healthy group (p all<0.05). After anti-inflammatory and moisturizing treatment, the texture, hemoglobin, and affected area of sensitive skin decreased, TEWL decreased while SCH increased (p all<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results, the combination of the ANTERA 3D^® with GPSkin Barrier^® could be used as a new kind of quantitative evaluation method for the detection and diagnosis of sensitive skin.