The stabilization and antioxidant performances of coenzyme Q10-loaded niosomes coated by PEG and chitosan

In this study, coenzyme Q10-loaded niosomes were prepared by thin film hydration method and the niosomes were further coated with PEG and chitosan (CS) at different mass ratio of PEG (or CS) to surfactant. The effects of different formulations on the physico-chemical properties of the carriers, including encapsulation efficiency (EE), drug loading capacity (LC), particle size and zeta potential were evaluated. These niosomes, including uncoated, PEG-coated and CS-coated niosomes, were subjected to stability examination, antioxidant activity analysis and sustained release studies. The results showed that PEG and CS modification effectively improved the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of CoQ10. PEG coating could significantly increase the stability of loaded drug, including photo stability, heat stability and storage stability, and the best one was PEG/Surf 1:2. Furthermore, compared to CoQ10 solution, the PEG-coated niosomes exhibited an excellent sustained release effects, while the CS modification had the adverse effects. In conclusion, PEG-modified niosomes can be used as a new carrier for CoQ10. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, coenzyme Q10-loaded niosomes were coated with PEG and chitosan at different mass ratios, showing that PEG coating significantly improved the stability and sustained release of CoQ10, while CS modification had adverse effects.