Liposomes Encapsulating Morin: Investigation of Physicochemical Properties, Dermal Absorption Improvement and Anti-Aging Activity in PM-Induced Keratinocytes

Recently, a global market for anti-aging skin care using botanicals has been noticeably developing. Morin, 3,5,7,2 ',4 '-pentahydroxyflavone, is a polyphenol with many pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammation and photoprotection. However, poor aqueous solubility of morin restricts its application in pharmaceuticals. The present study aimed to encapsulate morin into liposomal vesicles to improve its water solubility and skin penetration, and further investigated its ROS inhibition and anti-aging activity in HaCaT keratinocytes induced by particulate matters (PMs). Our data presented that morin was a strong DPPH center dot radical scavenger. Morin displayed a remarkable ROS inhibitory ability and protected keratinocytes against PMs by downregulating matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression via suppressing p-ERK and p-p38 in the MAPK pathway. Moreover, water solubility of liposomal morin (LM) prepared by the thin film hydration method was significantly better than free form of morin due to particle size reduction of LM. Our results also demonstrated that deformable liposomal vesicles were achieved for increasing dermal absorption. Additionally, LM (morin:lecinolws-50:tween-80:PF-68, 1:2.5:2.5:5) was able to effectively reduce generation of ROS, inactivate p-ERK, p-p38 and MMP-1 in HaCaT cells exposed to PM. In conclusion, our findings suggested that LM would be a bright candidate for various topical anti-aging and anti-pollution products.

Automated summary

Recently, there has been significant development in the global market for anti-aging skin care using botanicals. Morin, a polyphenol compound, has shown pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and photoprotection effects. However, its poor water solubility hinders its pharmaceutical applications. This study aimed to encapsulate morin into liposomal vesicles to improve its solubility and skin penetration and evaluate its ROS inhibition and anti-aging activity. The results demonstrated that morin exhibited strong DPPH radical scavenging activity and effectively protected keratinocytes from particulate matter-induced damage by downregulating MMP-1 expression through the suppression of p-ERK and p-p38 in the MAPK pathway. Additionally, the water solubility of liposomal morin was significantly improved compared to free morin, and deformable liposomal vesicles enhanced dermal absorption. In conclusion, liposomal morin shows potential as a promising candidate for various topical anti-aging and anti-pollution products.