Pharmacological Research - Modern Chinese Medicine · Published 2026-07-04 · DOI 10.1016/j.prmcm.2026.100844
Sagarika Majhi, Iti Chauhan, Madhu Verma, Lubhan Singh
Purpose: To develop and optimise a smartlipid nanocarrier (SLs) gel formulation of berberine (Coptis chinensis, Phellodendron amurense), a Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of testosterone-induced androgenetic alopecia, and to evaluate its efficacy in promoting hair growth through in-vivo testing. Methods: Smartlipid nanocarrier gel was formulated by selecting suitable lipids and surfactants to encapsulate berberine, enhance its stability, and enable controlled release. Nanocarriers were prepared using high-shear homogenization and sonication for uniform size and better follicular penetration. Box-Behnken design was used for optimisation. The nanoparticles were characterised for size, zeta potential, drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and release profile. The gel was evaluated for appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, occlusion, and release kinetics. In vivo, testosterone-induced hair loss was modelled after androgenetic alopecia, and the optimised berberine gel was topically applied. Efficacy was assessed through hair growth monitoring and histopathological analysis. Results: The optimised gel had a particle size of 111.30 ± 3.99 nm, zeta potential of -27.15 ± 4.63 mV, and encapsulation efficiency of 82.43 ± 2.12%. It showed suitable pH (5.43 ± 0.05), viscosity (6307.67 ± 554.21 cps), spreadability (1667.86–3820.60 mm²), and 80.65% drug release over 24 h. Conclusion: In vivo, the berberine-loaded gel significantly reduced hair loss, promoted earlier hair growth initiation, and shortened regrowth duration compared to standard treatments. Enhanced berberine bioavailability and sustained release suggest its potential as an effective therapy for androgenetic alopecia.
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Majhi, S., Chauhan, I., Verma, M., et al. (2026). Formulation, optimization & in-vivo evaluation of smartlipid nanocarrier gel of berberine in testosterone-induced androgenetic alopecia. Pharmacological Research - Modern Chinese Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prmcm.2026.100844