Formulation and Evaluation of Lawsone Loaded Nanosponge Gel for Topical Delivery

Abstract

The target of the current report considers producing controlled-release lawsone-loaded nanosponge gel for topical delivery. Lawsone is also known as hennotannic acid, is an active pharmaceutical agent found in the general leaves of the henna plant responsible for an antifungal agent to treat cutaneous candidiasis. The current nanosponge formulation is carried out using ethyl cellulose as polymer, polyvinyl alcohol as co-polymer dichloromethane as a cross-linker & propylene glycol as a permeation enhancer. The formulation was prepared through emulsion solvent diffusion approach as well as the prepared nanosponge gels were evaluated by physical appearance, determination of PH, spreadability, extrudability, skin irritation test, drug content, entrapment efficiency, and in-vitro diffusion studies. The physical appearance of the LNS1 & LNS7 formulation was watery and the remaining formulations were found to have smooth, transparent, homogenous with a gel-like consistency. The PH of formulated nanosponge gel formulation was found to be in the range between 4.5-5.5. It was concluded that all the PH values within the range of skin PH. The spreadability values ranging from 7.2-8.5. In the formulations (LNS1 & LNS8) far more than 90% going from contents had been extrudable indicating they need perfect extrudability with the except for LNS1 & LNS7 as 80% of the contents were extrudable. The skin irritation test of lawsone loaded nanosponge gels (LNS1-LSN5) had been strain irritation at a site of application. The drug content ranging from 79-92.2% & entrapment efficiency ranging from 66-80% was obtained. In-vitro drug diffusion research had been performed by diffusion apparatus containing 100ml PH 5.0 phosphate buffer maintained at 37 oC. LNS6 was found to show a drug release of 68.8%. Therefore LNS6  formulation sustained the drug release and was considered as optimized formulation over LNS4-LSN7. The ‘n’ value of formulation LNS6 was 0.899and suggesting drug was released by Zero-order kinetics.