Enhanced Topical Delivery of Rosehip Oil (RO) through Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC)

INTRODUCTION: Rosehip oil (RO) is rich in bioactive constituents with potential for various formulations. This investigation aims to design and analyze Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) containing RO to protect its delicate components, prolong RO's shelf life, and enhance its permeability.
METHODS: The NLC formulation was created using high shear homogenization, with RO as the liquid lipid and Compritol 888 ATO (C888) as the solid lipid. A series of assessments was conducted to evaluate encapsulation effectiveness, particle size distribution, polydispersity index, zeta potential, ex vivo skin penetration, and stability.
RESULTS: The NLCs showed uniform spherical morphology, average particle sizes of 180 nm, PDI below 0.3, and zeta potential around -30 mV. High encapsulation efficiency was also observed. Ex vivo experiments indicated improved Quercetin reten-tion in both Stratum Corneum (SC) and viable epidermis/dermis layers with NLC-encapsulated RO compared to RO alone. Stability assessments showed that the NLC formulation remained stable at 4°C for at least 90 days.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The findings support NLC's efficacy in delivering active compounds to the skin, presenting an encouraging alternative for treating skin conditions.