Lawsone and Lavender Oil Incorporated Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: A Sustained Delivery Platform for Full-Thickness Wound Healing.

Lawsone, a naphthoquinone phytochemical compound present in the plants such as henna, was found to increase the healing process. However, clinical applications are impeded owing to the poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and dyeing property to the hair and skin. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are appropriate carriers that cover undesirable effects of drugs, afford sustained release over a prolonged period of time, reduce systematic effects, decrease irritation, and increase tolerance. In this research, a formulation of lawsone incorporated NLC was prepared, and characterized for pharmaceutical application. The synthesized formulation was characterized using electron microscopy, polydispersity index, and zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were evaluated. In order to assess wound healing potential, the wound area was measured at different times post-treatment, showing a structured tissue with better healing signs in NLC- L_w- L_v group in comparison with alpha ointment. NLC- L_w- L_v (NLC containing lawsone and lavender) formulation with mean size of 165.3 ± 4.2 nm, polydispersity index of 0.211, zeta potential of − 24.3 mV, and entrapment efficiency of 79.3 ± 2.9 was subjected to further experiments as optimized formulation. The ex vivo evaluation of formulation in mouse skin indicated better retention, less residue, and permeation in comparison with alpha ointment as standard. MDA level, as the indicator of lipid peroxidation, was lower in the NLC- L_w- L_v treated group. Histological score of microscopic wound healing parameters, such as swelling, re-epithelialization, formation of fibrotic tissue, and granulation, presented significantly better wound contraction in NLC- L_w- L_v treated group. In conclusion, our results propose the effective wound healing ability of lawsone, proved by more effective and an earlier stimulation of wound contraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]