10-Hydroxy Decanoic Acid-Based Vesicles as a Novel Topical Delivery System: Would It Be a Better Platform Than Conventional Oleic Acid Ufasomes for Skin Cancer Treatment?

10-hydroxy decanoic acid (HDA), a naturally derived fatty acid, was used for the preparation of novel fatty acid vesicles for comparison with oleic acid (OA) ufasomes. The vesicles were loaded with magnolol (Mag), a potential natural drug for skin cancer. Different formulations were prepared using the thin film hydration method and were statistically evaluated according to a Box-Behnken design in terms of particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), and entrapment efficiency (EE). The ex vivo skin permeation and deposition were assessed for Mag skin delivery. In vivo, an assessment of the optimized formulae using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced skin cancer in mice was also conducted. The PS and ZP of the optimized OA vesicles were 358.9 +/- 3.2 nm and -82.50 +/- 7.13 mV compared to 191.9 +/- 6.28 nm and -59.60 +/- 3.07 mV for HDA vesicles, respectively. The EE was high (>78%) for both types of vesicles. Ex vivo permeation studies revealed enhanced Mag permeation from all optimized formulations compared to a drug suspension. Skin deposition demonstrated that HDA-based vesicles provided the highest drug retention. In vivo, studies confirmed the superiority of HDA-based formulations in attenuating DMBA-induced skin cancer during treatment and prophylactic studies.

Automated summary

In this study, novel fatty acid vesicles loaded with magnolol were prepared using 10-hydroxy decanoic acid (HDA) and oleic acid (OA) for skin cancer treatment. The performance of different formulations was statistically evaluated in terms of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that HDA-based vesicles exhibited better drug permeation and skin deposition, and showed superior efficacy in attenuating DMBA-induced skin cancer.