Abstract
Purpose :
To describe the demodicidal activity of 5% terpinen-4-ol (T4O) encapsulated in nano-lipidic particle emulsion lotion on Demodex folliculorum.
Methods :
Live Demodex mites were obtained from human volunteers by epilating two eyelashes from the upper and lower eyelid of both eyes. The mites were then immersed in a test solution: 0.07 grams of 5% terpinen-4-ol (T4O) encapsulated in nano-lipidic particle technology diluted for visibility purposes with 1 ml of Phosphate Buffered Saline (1x) pH 7.4. Samples were observed under the microscope for up to 137 mins, with time-to-death recorded every 30 minutes. Kill time was defined as the elapsed time between the addition of test solution and all cessation of movement of the body, legs, mouth and pedipalps for a minimum of 5-10 minutes.
Results :
The 5% terpinen-4-ol (T4O) encapsulated in nano-lipidic particle emulsion demonstrated democidal activity as early as 30 minutes with 100% of Demodex mites reaching 0 movement or death in an average of 96.6 minutes.
Conclusions :
The 5% terpinen-4-ol (T4O) encapsulated in nano-lipidic particle lotion effectively killed all mite samples within 137 mins of exposure. These proof-of-concept results demonstrating kill times provide the basis for future testing to determine whether the encapsulated nano-particle formulation can mitigate discomfort associated with high-concentration terpinen-4-ol (T4O) application.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.