Innovative dissolving microneedles for enhanced delivery of alpha arbutin and ascorbic acid: a novel LC-MS quantification approach

This study presents a novel dissolving microneedles (MN) formulation designed to deliver alpha arbutin (AA) and ascorbic acid for hyperpigmentation treatment. Utilizing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-K90), we successfully prepared and characterized MN arrays with high drug loading efficiencies of 89.01% for AA and 94.09% for ascorbic acid. A pioneering liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique was developed for simultaneous drug quantification, achieving precision and accuracy as per FDA guidelines. Our MN demonstrated excellent mechanical properties, with effective skin penetration and dissolution within 5 minutes and permeation rates of 4.28% h-1 for AA and 3.61% h-1 for ascorbic acid. This innovative approach offers a promising platform for the transdermal delivery of active compounds, highlighting significant advancements in drug delivery technology.