Unlocking finasteride's potential via carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex for androgenic alopecia

This study focused on developing a carboxylated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) formulation to enhance the physicochemical properties of finasteride by forming an inclusion complex. The goal was to evaluate its encapsulation efficiency, kinetic behavior, and thermodynamic properties thoroughly. For this purpose, β-CD was modified with carboxymethyl groups. Finasteride was then loaded into the carrier to prepare an inclusion complex (CM-β-CD/Fin). Various techniques were employed to characterize the product. Additionally, the stability, solubility, encapsulation efficiency (EE %), drug release profile, and cytotoxicity of CM-β-CD/Fin were investigated. The kinetic parameters and thermodynamic behavior of CM-β-CD/Fin were evaluated. XRD and FT-IR confirmed the successful formation of CM-β-CD/Fin. DLS analysis revealed a size distribution below 100 nm. FE-SEM showed a spherical morphology for CM-β-CD/Fin. The loading efficiency was approximately 85 %. The highest observed release was around 80 %, indicating potential for effective therapeutic use. The kinetic study of drug release indicated a non-Fickian mechanism. The thermodynamic evaluation suggested a spontaneous binding process along with an exothermic encapsulation reaction. Overall, the CM-β-CD/Fin combination exhibits advantageous characteristics suitable for controlled drug release systems. The results of this study are significant because the encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs like Fin can be challenging, and the method may provide better drug delivery properties.