Fabrication and Characterization of Silibinin-loaded Liposomes for Skin Wounds Healing

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Silibinin, an antioxidant, is used to prevent and treat skin inflammatory disorders. This study aimed to develop a liposomal silibinin formulation to increase its bioavailability and water solubility and control its kinetic release to improve the healing process of skin wounds. Methods: liposomes carrying silibinin were prepared using the thin film method. The loading capacity and drug release kinetics were evaluated using the reading drug absorption in the suitable wavelength. The particle size and surface potential (ζ-potential) of nanosystems were determined using dynamic light scattering technique. Lipid nanoparticle morphology was determined using a scanning electron microscope. An MTT assay was then used to determine the cytotoxicity on human skin fibroblasts. The obtained data were analyzed using a 1-way analysis of variance in SPSS software, version 18. Results: The particle size and ζ-potential of liposomal nanoparticles with silibinin optimized liposomal silibinin are 112±9.07 nm and -14.5±2.2 mV, respectively. The encapsulation of silibinin in liposome was 84%±5.3%, and the total drug release at 37°C during 24 h was 67.3%±4.98%. In addition, the results of cellular toxicity showed that silibinin alone or liposomes containing silibinin do not have cytotoxicity on healthy human fibroblasts. Further, encapsulated silibinin versus its free form promotes the growth of fibroblast healthy cells. Conclusion: The results show that a nanoliposomal silibinin formulation can be used as a nanodrug containing an effective herbal agent for speeding up the healing of skin wounds.

Keywords

• liposomes
• silibinin
• local drugging
• wound healing