Abstract:
Skin health is vital for a healthy body. Herbal remedies have long been used for skin care, and their
global use has tremendously increased over the past three decades. Although cellulite is seen as a
normal condition by the medical community, it is considered a serious cosmetic concern for most
afected women. Many topical anti-cellulite creams are available on the market, but unfortunately,
their efcacy has not been proven scientifcally. Microneedles (MNs) represent a new approach to
enhance the permeation of loaded medication through the skin. In this study, the anti-cellulite
efects of Vitex agnus-castus and Tamarindus indica extracts were compared using safe and efective
polymeric MNs. This delivery system ofers a painless alternative to the combined treatment strategy
of microneedling devices and anti-cellulite products. The selected standardized extracts were evaluated
for their mineral, phenolic and favonoid contents, which are correlated to a promising antioxidant
efect, as demonstrated by an in vitro radical scavenging activity assay. 3D-printing techniques were
chosen for fabrication of a micromold, which is inexpensive for mass production. To ensure that MNs
were sufciently strong to perforate the skin without breaking, axial failure force was measured using
a micro-mechanical test machine. The anticellulite efects of MNs were assessed using an in vivo diet-
induced obesity guinea pig model. Skin properties, histopathology and infammatory markers were
examined. MNs loaded with plant extracts were statistically comparable in normalizing the oxidative
state and reducing infammation, while myeloperoxidase levels were more signifcantly reduced by
T. indica than by V. agnus-castus. This novel delivery system opens the door for new transdermal
strategies for cellulite management
