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Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) acts as an antioxidant in the skin and is frequently contained in anti-aging products. In previous studies, it could be shown that nano-structured lipid carriers (NLC) with a size of about 230 nm are beneficial for the dermal delivery of CoQ10. They increased Q10 skin penetration when compared to equally sized nanoemulsion. In this study, ultra-small NLC were prepared with even smaller mean particles sizes of around 80 nm. The influence of this decrease of particle size was investigated in terms of skin permeation and penetration as well as physicochemical stability of the NLC. Improved dermal delivery of CoQ10 by ultra-small NLC could be achieved., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

UV irradiation leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). An imbalance between the antioxidant system and ROS can lead to cell damage, premature skin aging or skin cancer. To counteract these processes, antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are contained in many cosmetics. To improve and optimize cell/tissue penetration properties of the lipophilic CoQ10, ultra-small lipid nanoparticles (usNLC) were developed. The antioxidant effectiveness of CoQ10-loaded usNLC compared to conventional nanocarriers was investigated in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy investigations of the carriers additionally loaded with nile red showed a clear uptake into cells and their distribution within the cytoplasm. By use of the XTT cell viability test, CoQ10 concentrations of 10–50 μg/ml were shown to be non-toxic, and the antioxidant potential of 10 μg/ml CoQ10 loaded usNLC in the HaCaT cells was analyzed via electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy after cellular exposure to UVA (1 J/cm 2 ) and UVB (18 mJ/cm 2 ) irradiation. In comparison with the CoQ10-loaded conventional carriers, usNLC-CoQ10 demonstrated the strongest reduction of the radical formation; reaching up to 23% compared to control cells without nanocarrier treatment. Therefore, usNLC-CoQ10 are very suitable to increase the antioxidant potential of skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]