Ethosomes for coenzyme Q10 cutaneous administration: From design to 3D skin tissue evaluation

DOI: 10.3390/antiox9060485

Authors: Maddalena Sguizzato (University of Ferrara) , Paolo Mariani (Polytechnic University of Marche) , Francesco Spinozzi (Polytechnic University of Marche) , Mascia Benedusi (University of Ferrara) , Franco Cervellati (University of Ferrara) , Rita Cortesi (University of Ferrara) , Markus Drechsler (University of Bayreuth) , Roxane Prieux (University of Ferrara) , Giuseppe Valacchi (University of Ferrara; NC State University; Kyung Hee University) , Elisabetta Esposito (University of Ferrara)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Antioxidants , VOL 9

State: Published (Approved)
Published: June 2020
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 21035

Abstract: Ethosome represents a smart transdermal vehicle suitable for solubilization and cutaneous application of drugs. Coenzyme Q10 is an endogenous antioxidant whose supplementation can counteract many cutaneous disorders and pathologies. In this respect, the present study describes the production, characterization, and cutaneous protection of phosphatidylcholine based ethosomes as percutaneous delivery systems for coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 entrapment capacity in ethosomes was almost 100%, vesicles showed the typical ‘fingerprint’ structure, while mean diameters were around 270 nm, undergoing an 8% increase after 3 months from production. An ex-vivo study, conducted by transmission electron microscopy, could detect the uptake of ethosomes in human skin fibroblasts and the passage of the vesicles through 3D reconstituted human epidermis. Immunofluorescence analyses were carried on both on fibroblasts and 3D reconstituted human epidermis treated with ethosomes in the presence of H2O2 as oxidative stress challenger, evaluating 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts which is as a reliable biomarker for oxidative damage. Notably, the pretreatment with CoQ10 loaded in ethosomes exerted a consistent protective effect against oxidative stress, in both models, fibroblasts and in reconstituted human epidermis respectively.

Journal Keywords: ethosome; ubiquinone; H2O2; penetration enhancers; dermal administration; reconstituted human epidermis; small angle X-ray scattering

Subject Areas: Biology and Bio-materials, Chemistry, Medicine


Instruments: B21-High Throughput SAXS

Documents:
antioxidants-09-00485.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Biochemistry Chemistry Drug Delivery Health & Wellbeing Life Sciences & Biotech

Technical Tags:

Scattering Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS)