Stabilized Liposomes Transdermal Patch for Loaded Antioxidants Skin Therapy

Abstract

In the body, skin acts as protective barrier insulating organs from physical, chemical or biological damage. Skin aging triggered by sun’s ultraviolet rays, and pollution decrease its protective barrier and physiological functional properties. The cosmetic industry and dermatologist hunt for effective therapeutic technologies to slow skin aging. Skin anti aging therapy include the radiofrequency technology that use the thermal energy application onto the skin to induce dermal and epidermal remodeling, which triggers regeneration. This is an expensive therapeutic technology, and there still remains the use of anti-aging products with antioxidants, which protect the skin from free radical that induce skin aging. Numerous antioxidants exist, —e.g. retinol, lecithin, — however there remains a challenge to deliver these compounds the epidermis to afford skin protection. In addition, antioxidants are environmentally unstable, and lose their potency with exposure. As such, approach to mitigate the instability and a delivery vehicle is the use of liposome technology. Liposome is a microsphere with an aqueous center and a lipid exterior, a dual structure that affords skin penetration. As a proof concept, we have developed polyhydroxylated fatty acid (polyol) liposome and used it to encapsulate a model antiaging agent. The polylol liposomes was compared with lecithin based liposomes for controlled release on the anti-aging agent. Towards a fabrication of a dermatologist usable device, we have demonstrated a prototype voltage responsive biobased transdermal patch impregnated with antioxidant loaded liposomes, with controlled release of the antiaging agent triggered by disruption of the liposomes by a mild voltage application.

Discipline: Chemistry

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Samuel Mugo