Background: Alopecia, a chronic dermatological inflammatory condition affecting the hair follicles. Conventional treatments are associated with the risk of serious side effects. The stratum corneum limits the percutaneous absorption of drugs. Hence, the development of novel herbal formulations for topical delivery has been the target, with the enhancement of their therapeutic efficacy and safety of use. Aims: To formulate and characterize Fenugreek seed extract loaded solid lipid nanoparticles carrier for the management of Alopecia to reduce the systemic side effects. Methodology: Fenugreek seed extract loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) were prepared by melt emulsification accompanied by probe sonication. The formulation was prepared using GMS, Tween 80, and Soya lecithin as Lipid, Surfactant, and Co-Surfactant. The SLN was incorporated into carbapol 934 dispersion to convert it into a gel. The SLN formulation was evaluated for size, Polydispersity Index, Zeta Potential, Entrapment efficiency, Transmission Electron Microscopy. After that, the SLN gel was examined for Spreadability, Extrudabilty, Viscosity, In vitro drug release, Ex vivo permeation, and Skin deposition studies. Results: The formulated Fenugreek seed extract loaded showed a particle size of 223.36 nm with a narrow PDI of 0.313. Entrapment efficiency revealed that 74.56±0.12% of the drug was entrapped. Transmission electron microscopy images confirmed the spherical nature of the SLN. The extended-release pattern of the formulated SLN for 24h was observed in the in vitro release studies and followed Higuchi model(R2=0.9964). Ex vivo permeability showed a 72.05±0.15% deposition of Fenugreek seed extract loaded SLN. The formulation was stable for three months without significant changes. Conclusion: Fenugreek seed extract loaded NLC demonstrated enhanced permeation, improved skin retention, and extended release compared to conventional gel. The developed formulation would be further used for in vivo studies and by seeing above results it can be an alternative for Alopecia in the future.

Background: The main purpose of this study was to maximize the efficacy of fenugreek seed extract by loading it in an optimised solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) formula. Methods: To achieve an effective extraction method, preliminary studies were carried out to confirm the extract, and the extract was standardised using trigonelline. The influence of independent variables lipid concentration (X1), surfactant concentration (X2), and cosurfactant concentration (X3) on dependent variables particle size (Y1) and entrapment efficiency (Y2) was also studied and optimised using the Box–Behnken design. Melt emulsification followed by ultrasonication was used to prepare SLN formulations. To understand the effect of independent variables on the dependent quality parameters, response surface plots and mathematical equations were produced. Results: The results confirmed that soxhalation was the most suitable method for extraction of fenugreek seeds, confirmed by standardization. Further optimization revealed that particle sizes ranged from 193.4 to 312.3 nm, with entrapment efficiencies ranging from 61.2 to 74.32 percent. This implies that the developed formulations can be used for further in vitro and in vivo characterizations.