FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF LULICONAZOLE NANOEMULGEL USING BOX-BEHNKEN DESIGN APPROACH

Objective: The present study was aimed to develop and assess a Luliconazole-loaded nano emulgel for topical application. Methods: Nanoemulsion of Luliconazole was prepared by ultrasonication method. A pseudo-ternary phase diagram was constructed to determine the ideal ratio of oil and the surfactant/co-surfactant mixture for nanoemulsion preparation. The Box Behnken statistical design was utilized to optimize the nanoemulsion. The optimized batch of nanoemulsion was incorporated into the 1% Carbopol gel as nanoemulgel. It was evaluated for various parameters like globule size, zeta potential, pH, spreadability, viscosity, drug content, drug release, ex vivo permeation study, in vivo animal skin irritation study, and histopathology studies. Results: The optimized formulation showed a globule size of 130.5 nm and entrapment efficiency of 80% and the values were found to be within±5% of predicted values, indicating the suggested statistical model was significant at 95% of confidence interval. The zeta potential of the formulation was found to be-22.1 mV, indicating enhanced stability of the formulation. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images revealed that the formulation had a smooth surface texture with a mean globule size meeting the nanoscale size range. The drug release study demonstrated a sustained release pattern for the formulation, with a maximum release of 74.93±0.8% over 8 h. The formulated gel exhibited appreciable ex vivo permeability. An in vivo skin irritation test on Wister rats showed no signs of skin irritation from the formulation. The histopathological examination further confirmed that the formulation was dermatologically safe, exhibiting no toxicity or irritation. Conclusion: The results of the present study concluded that Luliconazole-loaded nanoemulgel could be a potential topical drug delivery approach for the management of fungal infections.