"Dual-Bottle, Dual-Mode" Intelligent Delivery System for Scenario-Specific Delivery of Astaxanthin and Skin...

Area of Science:

• Cosmetic Science
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Astaxanthin (AX) exhibits potent antioxidant properties but faces challenges in topical delivery, including poor solubility, photostability, staining, and uncontrolled release.
• Existing delivery systems often fail to provide adequate protection against UV-induced skin damage and aging.
• There is a need for advanced delivery platforms that can enhance AX stability and enable responsive, on-demand release for effective skincare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an intelligent, dual-mode delivery system for astaxanthin (AX) to overcome its limitations in topical skin applications.
• To enhance AX photostability, solubility, and control its release profile based on UVA exposure levels.
• To evaluate the system's efficacy in protecting skin against photoaging and improving overall skin health.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of an astaxanthin-sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (AX@SBE-β-CD) inclusion complex to improve water solubility and photostability.
• Loading the AX@SBE-β-CD complex into a UVA-responsive chitosan-based precursor (CS/4-PA/DCA) forming a dual-bottle system with a photoinitiator.
• Investigating a dual-mode release mechanism: sustained release in bottle A alone (basic protection) and rapid, UVA-triggered burst release upon mixing bottles A and B (enhanced protection).

Main Results:

• The AX@SBE-β-CD complex significantly improved AX water solubility and UVA retention (61.3% vs. 14.4%).
• The dual-bottle system demonstrated enhanced AX photostability (78.4% retention) and offered both sustained (22.5% over 24h) and on-demand burst release (up to 20.6% in 10 min).
• The system effectively scavenged ROS, protected skin cells, inhibited MMP1, promoted collagen synthesis, and improved wrinkles and elasticity, while reducing skin staining by 78.2%.

Conclusions:

• The developed dual-bottle, dual-mode system provides an effective solution for topical astaxanthin delivery, addressing stability, solubility, and controlled release challenges.
• This intelligent system offers personalized skincare by providing basic protection under normal conditions and enhanced protection upon significant UV exposure.
• The innovative platform paves the way for environmentally responsive and customizable skincare solutions for combating photoaging.