Characterization and In‐vitro Permeation Study of Stearic Acid Nanoparticles containing Hinokitiol

Abstract Lipid nanoparticles containing hinokitiol (HKL) were prepared by a melt–emulsification method. Stearic acid was used as a lipid for the matrix material of the nanoparticles. According to results from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), most of the nanoparticles were less than 100 nm. When nanoparticles containing HKL were scanned on a differential scanning calorimeter, no endothermic peak of HKL was observed. This means that HKL in the lipid matrix of the nanoparticles is in a dissolved state. In an 18‐h permeation study using hairless mouse skin mounted on a diffusion cell, the amount of HKL encapsulated in the nanoparticles transported to the receptor cell was five to ten times more than for HKL dissolved either ethanol or propylene glycol. Therefore, stearic acid nanoparticles strongly enhanced permeation of the skin by HKL.