Lipoic acid nanoparticles: effect of polymeric stabilizer on appetite suppression

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), which is common in the human body, is efficacious in appetite suppression. However, its typical formulations of salt or micronized crystals cannot satisfy the desired bioavailability requirements for appetite suppression due to low absorption and a short plasma half-life. Herein, we describe a new ALA nanoparticulate formulation produced by nano-comminution using polymeric stabilizers, such as hydroxypropyl cellulose, Pluronic^® F127, and polyvinylpyrrolidone. Nanoparticles of similar sizes did not show any remarkable differences in the in vitro release profiles. However, the in vivo results from food intake studies in mice demonstrated that the hydroxypropyl cellulose case had the largest improved efficacy among the three polymeric stabilizer cases. Compared to the nanosuspension formulations, the powder formulations of nanoparticles had improved efficacy in reducing food intake for six hours, possibly because of the delayed release kinetics. Therefore, the ALA powder formulation of nanoparticles is a candidate to replace the current formulations to achieve proper appetite suppression.