Impact of formulation design and lyophilisation on the physicochemical characteristics of finasteride nanosystems

The fundamental purpose of this study was to develop a stable lyophilised finasteride nanosystem (FNS-NS) for topical delivery. The FNS-NS was fabricated using an ultrasonication technique. The impact of two different cryoprotectants on the physicochemical characteristics of FNS-NS before and after lyophilisation was thoroughly investigated. The lyophilised FNS-NS had spherical shape with particle size lied between 188.6 nm +/- 4.4 and 298.7 nm +/- 4.7, low PDI values (0.26 +/- 0.02 to 0.32 +/- 0.02) and zeta potential ranging from -38.3 to +53.3 mV. The confocal laser microscopy depicted a comparatively higher cellular internalisation achieved for undecorated FNS-NS with respect to its chitosan-decorated counterpart. The lyophilised FNS-NS was stable for 90 days at proper storage conditions. The FNS-NS with 15% trehalose had appropriate physicochemical attributes that could be a promising carrier for topical delivery to treat androgenic alopecia.

Automated summary

The purpose of this study was to develop a stable lyophilised finasteride nanosystem (FNS-NS) for topical delivery. The FNS-NS was fabricated using ultrasonication and the impact of different cryoprotectants on its characteristics was investigated. The lyophilised FNS-NS showed spherical shape, a particle size range of 188.6 nm +/- 4.4 to 298.7 nm +/- 4.7, low PDI values, and zeta potential within -38.3 to +53.3 mV. Confocal laser microscopy demonstrated higher cellular internalisation for undecorated FNS-NS compared to its chitosan-decorated counterpart. The lyophilised FNS-NS remained stable for 90 days and the FNS-NS with 15% trehalose showed promising attributes for topical delivery in treating androgenic alopecia.