Naringenin microneedles as theranostics in the management of rheumatoid arthritis

Aim To develop a noninvasive dissolvable theranostics microneedle patch for simultaneous localized treatment and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis for reducing conventional systemic side effects.Materials and methods Naringenin nanoparticles were synthesized via ionic gelation using chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate, subsequently freeze-dried, and dispersed in a PVA-PVP-K90 (polyvinyl alcohol-polyvinylpyrrolidone-K90) solution containing methyl orange dye before being cast into microneedle molds. A scanning electron microscope and dynamic light scattering were used to investigate the morphology, particle size, and zeta potential. Further, in-vitro and ex-vivo release studies were conducted, and in-vivo efficacy was utilized to monitor the change in the diameter of arthritic animal models.Results The optimized nanoparticles demonstrated a hydrodynamic diameter of 414.9 ± 80.41 nm and an entrapment efficiency of 87.69 ± 2.45%. In-vitro release studies indicated effective, sustained naringenin release from the microneedle (DMN1), achieving 91.95 ± 3.96% over 24 h. However, the microneedles demonstrated excellent skin permeation, providing 83.77 ± 4.6% controlled drug release over 24 h ex-vivo. Animal studies revealed a significant reduction in paw diameter to 3.38 ± 0.3 mm, indicating naringenin’s therapeutic efficacy.Conclusions The system enables controlled transdermal drug delivery and real-time visual pH monitoring, offering a prominent and painless theranostics platform for managing rheumatoid arthritis.