Citation: Dingmei Zhang, Yaping Liu, Sirui Liu, Jun Wu, Zhenfeng Wu, Wei He. Deep eutectic solvent-mediated local delivery of Cacumen Platycladi essential oil against androgenetic alopecia[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(9): 111942. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111942 shu

Deep eutectic solvent-mediated local delivery of Cacumen Platycladi essential oil against androgenetic alopecia

Dingmei Zhang ^{a, b, 1} ,
Yaping Liu ^{a, b, 1} ,
Sirui Liu ^b ,
Jun Wu ^{c, *,} ,
Zhenfeng Wu ^{a, d, *,} ,
Wei He ^{a, b, *,}

a.
Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
b.
School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
c.
Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
d.
State Key Laboratory for the Modernization of Classical and Famous Prescriptions of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China

wujun9989@njmu.edu.cn

zfwu527@163.com

weihe@cpu.edu.cn

Received Date: 22 July 2025
Revised Date: 8 October 2025
Accepted Date: 9 October 2025
Available Online: 10 October 2025

Figures(4)

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss in clinical practice. Currently, the approved clinically used regimens for the treatment of alopecia include topical administration of minoxidil and oral finasteride. However, the two treatment approaches always demonstrate adverse effects and safety concerns. In the study, an aqueous transdermal delivery system (AqEDs) of Cacumen Platycladi essential oil (EO) was developed for the treatment of AGA, using deep eutectic solvent (DES) to solubilize the complex components of EOs. The AqEDs can stabilize EOs and allows transdermal delivery through lipid extraction with keratin conformational changes. AqEDs induced more significant hair regrowth effects in AGA model mice at a lower dosing frequency compared to minoxidil. This study potentially provides a safer and more effective strategy for the treatment of AGA.
- Androgenetic alopecia,
- Deep eutectic solvents,
- Essential oil,
- Transdermal delivery,
- Hair regeneration
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