Nail Lacquer Containing Origanum vulgare and Rosmarinus officinalis Essential Oils and Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles for Onychomycosis: Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of Antifungal Efficacy

Onychomycosis is a common fungal nail infection for which new antifungals are needed to overcome antimicrobial resistance and the limitations of conventional treatments. This study reports the development of antifungal nail lacquers containing oregano essential oil (OEO), rosemary essential oil (REO), and biogenic silver nanoparticles (bioAgNPs). The formulations (F) were tested against dermatophytes using agar diffusion, ex vivo nail infection, and scanning electron microscopy techniques. They were evaluated for their pharmacotechnical characteristics and by FTIR-PAS to assess permeation across the nail. F-OEO and F-OEO/bioAgNPs were promising candidates for the final nail lacquer formulation, as they permeated through the nail and showed antifungal efficacy against dermatophytes-contaminated nails after 5 days of treatment. Treated nails exhibited decreased hyphae and spores compared to the untreated control; the hyphae were atypically flattened, indicating loss of cytoplasmic content due to damage to the cytoplasmic membrane. The formulations were stable after centrifugation and thermal stress, maintaining organoleptic and physicochemical characteristics. Both F-OEO and F-OEO/bioAgNPs had pH compatible with the nail and drying times (59-90 s) within the reference for nail lacquer. For the first time, OEO and bioAgNPs were incorporated into nail lacquer, resulting in a natural and nanotechnological product for onychomycosis that could combat microbial resistance.