A novel approach to fat reduction: integrating traditional Chinese medicine with a dissolving MNs

Obesity is not only a direct cause of health problems, but is also closely related to the incidence rate of a variety of noncommunicable diseases. Intervention for obesity requires high self-discipline and compliance from individuals, which often makes weight loss less smooth and prone to rebound. In this study, we prepared a dissolving microneedle (MN) loaded with compound traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The base material was composed of a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), which met the requirements of solubility and sufficient mechanical properties. For the drug, we chose the Huatanqushi formula, which has a clear fat-reducing effect in clinical practice and is food and medicine homology. The results showed that the MN can penetrate the stratum corneum, rapidly release drugs in the dermis of the abdominal wall, alleviate the inflammatory state of local adipose tissue, regulate systemic lipid metabolism, and ultimately achieve weight loss. This MN patch is suitable for busy office workers to use conveniently, avoiding the discomfort of oral medication and the drawbacks of a large dosage and long medication time. It can effectively intervene in obesity with a minimal effect on the body.