Percutaneous permeation of betamethasone 17-valerate incorporated in lipid nanoparticles

Corticosteroids are therapeutic agents widely used in the pharmacological treatment of skin diseases such as eczema or psoriasis. Unfortunately, their use is restricted by the side effects that frequently occur at the systemic level. The goal of the research described here was to develop and characterize a solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) system containing corticosteroids for prolonged and localized delivery of the active drugs into the skin. In vitro measurements of Betamethasone 17-valerate (BMV) permeation through human epidermis were conducted using static Franz diffusion cells. The reservoir formation of the drug in the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin was also investigated. Monostearin SLN showed remarkable controlled release properties and a significant epidermis drug reservoir. On the other hand, beeswax SLN could not reduce the drug permeation through the skin, nor increase the drug content in the upper layers of the skin. The diffusion of corticosteroids into the skin appeared to be dependent on the lipid composition of the monostearin SLN. Topical SLN products show great potential for treating dermatological conditions by targeting corticosteroids to epidermal/upper dermal disease sites while minimizing systemic drug absorption.