Comparative Analysis of Loxoprofen Loaded Ethosomal Gel Formulations Incorporating Carbopol and Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Main Article Content
Abstract
Transdermal delivery is recognized as one of
the most advantageous non-invasive drug
delivery technologies; but the skin's natural
barrier, particularly the stratum corneum,
restricts drug permeation. However,
ethosomes, which are phospholipid vesicles
containing ethanol, have the potential to
enhance transdermal drug delivery.
They are integrated into various vehicles to create innovative pharmaceutical formulations like
ethosomal gels (EGs). This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of various grades of carbopol
and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as gel matrices for ethosomal suspensions intended
for transdermal delivery of loxoprofen (used as a model medication). Additionally, the effect of
lyophilization on hydrogel was studied. Five EGs (EG1-EG5) were developed and analyzed for
their viscosity, pH, drug content, and in vitro drug release. Additionally, the ex vivo penetration
of EG was compared with that in a gel formed from a hydroethanolic solution of drug (Sol-G).
The results revealed that, compared to HPMC, carbopol exhibited superior gelling properties, and
the drug release from the lyophilized optimized EG (EG5) was much higher (95.44±0.8%) over
12 hours than that of other formulations (p < 0.05). Moreover, the skin permeation investigation
employing rat skin indicated that the EG5 exhibited a markedly greater flux (J) value and apparent
permeability (Papp) in comparison to Sol-G. It can be concluded that the loxoprofen-loaded
ethosomes were successfully formulated in gel form and can be of use for transdermal delivery.
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References
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