Development of nanostructured lipid carriers containing finasteride

Beyond its aesthetic importance, the hair distinguishes the individual and can influence the social acceptance. Under certain circumstances, the normal hair growth process is impaired by a condition called androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Among the drugs used to treat AGA, finasteride is an anti-androgenic steroid, used both orally and topically. Nevertheless, it has been reported that both forms results in side effects such as irritation, contact dermatitis and mood changes. Nanostructured lipid carriers incorporating finasteride were developed in this study, in order to evaluate its main characteristics considering size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, encapsulation efficacy and cytotoxicity. Such nanoparticles were built with lipids from vegetable source and block copolymers. They were adjusted to release the drug using specific temperature as trigger. After preparation through high shear technique, the lipid nanocarriers produced exhibited hydrodynamic diameter with average size of 119.56 ± 1.07 nm and polydispersity index of 0.186. Encapsulation efficiency reached values close to 100% after HPLC quantification. The suspension kept their characteristics through 30 days, showing good stability. In addition, the nanostructures reduced the finasteride cytotoxicity for fibroblasts and keratinocytes cells. In this way, the obtained formulation becomes a good candidate for future in vivo tests as topical agent against AGA showing high encapsulation efficiency and lower cytotoxicity when compared to finasteride alone.