Green Formulation of Spironolactone Loaded Chitosan-Coated Nano Lipid Carrier for Treatment of Acne Vulgaris: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial.
Adv Pharm Bull 2024;
14:161-175. [PMID:
38585452 PMCID:
PMC10997933 DOI:
10.34172/apb.2024.011]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose
Spironolactone (SPN), which is classified as an anti-androgen, has demonstrated efficacy in treating acne. This study aimed to utilize ultrasonication to create a chitosan-coated nano lipid carrier (NLC) for enhancing the delivery of SPN to the skin and treating acne.
Methods
Various hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values were investigated to optimize the SPN-NLCs. Photon correlation spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to characterize the solid state of SPN in nanoparticle form. Additionally, the optimized formulation was used in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial.
Results
Reducing the HLB of the surfactant mixtures resulted in a reduction in the size of SPNNLCs. The formula with the smallest particle diameter (238.4±0.74 nm) and the lowest HLB value (9.65) exhibited the highest encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 79.88±1.807%. Coating the optimized SPN-NLC with chitosan increased the diameter, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), and EE. In vitro skin absorption studies demonstrated sustained release profiles for chitosan-coated SPN-NLC. In the double-blind trial, a gel containing chitosan-coated SPN-NLC effectively treated mild to moderate acne vulgaris, leading to improved healing and reduced lesion count after 8 weeks of therapy compared to the placebo. It successfully addressed both non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions without adverse effects on the skin.
Conclusion
The findings indicate that chitosan-coated SPN-NLCs have the potential as nanoparticles for targeted SPN delivery to the skin, offering novel options for the treatment of acne vulgaris.
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