Fabrication, Characterization and In vitro Evaluation of Luliconazole Enriched Nanosuspension Topical Gel

This research aims to formulate, optimize, and evaluate a Luliconazole-loaded nanosuspension gel for topical administration. Using the Solvent evaporation/ultrasonication technique, Luliconazole nanosuspensions were fabricated with glyceryl monostearate (GMS) as a lipid. Six different nanosuspensions were formulated by varying the GMS concentration and sonication time. The formulation was optimized by assessing the particle size (nm) and entrapment efficiency (%). The smallest particle size and the highest efficient entrapment (%) formulation was chosen. The optimized nanosuspension was then combined with a 1% Carbopol 934 gelling solution to obtain the topical nanosuspension gel. The formulated gel was assessed for zeta potential, appearance, pH, spreadability, viscosity, drug content, drug release, and in vitro skin irritation using the HET-CAM technique. The nanosuspension gel had a particle size of 122.6 nm with PDI of 0.318, and an entrapment efficiency of 78.4%. The zeta potential was -26.9 mV, indicating good stability. The pH, viscosity, and spreadability were found to be satisfactory. An 8-hour sustained release with a maximum release of 83.46% was observed in the drug release study. The formulation's dermatological safety was further confirmed by the HET-CAM method in vitro skin irritation testing, which showed no evidence of irritation. The research concluded that Luliconazole nanosuspension gel holds potential as an effective drug delivery for treating fungal infections.