Characterization and evaluation of freeze-dried liposomes loaded with ascorbyl palmitate enabling anti-aging therapy of the skin

Abstract

To prepare freeze-dried ascorbyl palmitate (AsP)-containing liposome which can protect the drug from moisture attack and be used instantly by mixing with water for anti-aging and skin whitening therapy, AsP was encapsulated into liposomes and freeze-dried with trehalose. The freeze-dried liposome formulations were characterized by measuring water contents, particle size, time required for complete reconstitution. With the freeze-dried liposomes, we performed the stability test under accelerated conditions, skin permeation and localization test. The measurement of the time to perfect reconstitution showed that the freeze-dried liposomes can be changed to their initial state rapidly and short term stability test of AsP in reconstituted liposomes under accelerated conditions confirmed that the stability of AsP was considerably enhanced as compared to freshly prepared liposomes. The skin permeation and localization properties of AsP in reconstituted liposomes were not significantly different, indicating that the liposomal structures were maintained before and after freeze-drying. In conclusion, the freeze-drying method provided a possible way to overcome the instability issue of AsP induced by the moisture and reproduced similar skin penneation and localization properties as shown by freshly prepared liposomes.