Topical Delivery of Coenzyme Q10-Loaded Microemulsion for Skin Regeneration

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) microemulsion system with improved solubility, penetration, and wound healing efficacy. Based on the pseudo-ternary diagram, microemulsions containing isopropyl myristate (IPM), Cremophor EL®, and Transcutol® HP were selected and confirmed to be nanosized (w/w %) demonstrated a higher permeation efficacy compared to microemulsions with S/CoS ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 (w/w %). Additionally, the CoQ10-loaded microemulsion with an S/CoS ratio of 2:1 demonstrated a relatively rapid wound healing effect in keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Overall, these data suggest that a microemulsion based on IPM, Cremophor EL®, and Transcutol® HP could be an effective vehicle for the topical administration of CoQ10 and could be utilized for the application of other therapeutic agents that have difficulty in penetrating the skin.

Keywords

• coenzyme Q10
• microemulsion
• topical administration
• skin regeneration