Development and Characterization of Econazole Topical Gel

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to develop a novel topical formulation of econazole nitrate based on gel that can be easily scaled up in one pot for the potential treatment of fungal and yeast infections. Econazole nitrate, a topical antifungal, is used to treat tinea versicolor, tinea pedis, and tinea cruris. Compared to applying cream or ointment, topical gels offer numerous advantages, one of which is that the drug is released more quickly to the intended site of action. A viscous mixture of propylene glycol, Capmul® MCM C8, methyl and propyl paraben, and econazole nitrate were mixed together before being formulated into the optimized Carbopol® gel bases. The gel’s color, appearance, and homogeneity were assessed visually. For every formulation, the drug content, pH, viscosity, spreadability, and gel strength were characterized. The cup plate diffusion method was used to evaluate the anti-fungal activity of the prepared formulations. To assess the behavior of the developed system, studies on in vitro release and mechanism were conducted. The manufactured formulations were transparent, pale yellow, and exhibited excellent homogeneity. The pH of each formulation was roughly 6.0, making them suitable for topical use. The concentration of Carbopol® 940 resulted in a significant increase in viscosity and gel strength but a significant decrease in spreadability. It was demonstrated that the prepared formulations inhibited the growth of Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. In contrast, the standard blank gel showed no signs of antifungal action. By increasing the concentration of Carbopol® 940, the in vitro release profile of econazole nitrate significantly decreased. Following the Korsmeyer–Peppas model fitting, all formulations exhibited n values greater than 0.5 and less than 1, indicating that diffusion and gel swelling control econazole nitrate release.

Intranasal Delivery of Carvedilol- and Quercetin-Encapsulated Cationic Nanoliposomes for Cardiovascular Targeting: Formulation and In Vitro and Ex Vivo Studies

“…The calculated ‘n’ value for the CVD and QC release from CVD/QC-L.O.F. was 0.56 and 0.52, which is in the range of 0.5 and 1, suggesting the release of CVD and QC are controlled by diffusion followed by gel or polymer swelling. Nawaz et al reported the in vitro drug release profile of 5-fluorouracil-loaded alginate nanoparticle-modified chitosan hydrogel, indicating the best-fit release kinetic model of the Korsmeyer–Peppas model with a ‘n’ value of 0.832 which describes the release mechanism from the hydrogel system was diffusion and polymer swelling/erosion controlled …”

“…The calculated 'n' value for the CVD and QC release from CVD/QC-L.O.F. was 0.56 and 0.52, which is in the range of 0.5 and 1,73 suggesting the release of CVD and QC are controlled by diffusion followed by gel or polymer swelling. Nawaz et al reported the in vitro drug release…”

Foams Set a New Pace for the Release of Diclofenac Sodium

“…In the case of all systems, the observed n values are between 0.5 and 1.0, indicating that the mechanism of drug transport involves both diffusion and relaxation (erosion). Based on the k value, the fastest release rate was observed in the case of foam formulation [ 34 ].…”

“…To study the release mechanism of the investigated formulations, we applied the Korsmeyer–Peppas model by fitting it to the release curve until reaching the plateau phase, providing information about the mechanism of drug release [ 34 ].…”

Solubility Enhancement of Efinaconazole using Neem Gum and Evaluation of Antifungal Activity

“…Evaluation of Anti-fungal activity: (18,19) The antifungal activities of Efinaconazole were evaluated by disk diffusion assay. Briefly, Candid albicans (NCIM no.…”