Fabrication of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC)-Based Gels from Microemulsion Template for Delivery Through Skin

Advancements and Challenges of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Wound Healing Applications

The current treatments for wound healing still exhibit drawbacks due to limited availability at the action sites, susceptibility to degradation, and immediate drug release, all of which are detrimental in chronic conditions. Nano-modification strategies, offering various advantages that can enhance the physicochemical properties of drugs, have been employed in efforts to maximize the efficacy of wound healing medications. Nowadays, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) provide drug delivery capabilities that can safeguard active compounds from environmental influences and enable controlled release profiles. Consequently, NLCs are considered an alternative therapy to address the challenges encountered in wound treatment. This review delves into the application of NLCs in drug delivery for wound healing, encompassing discussions on their composition, preparation methods, and their impact on treatment effectiveness. The modification of drugs into the NLC model can be facilitated using relatively straightforward technologies such as pressure-based processes, emulsification techniques, solvent utilization methods, or phase inversion. Moreover, NLC production with minimal material compositions can accommodate both single and combination drug delivery. Through in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies, it has been substantiated that NLCs can enhance the therapeutic potential of various drug types in wound healing treatments. NLCs enhance efficacy by reducing the active substance particle size, increasing solubility and bioavailability, and prolonging drug release, ensuring sustained dosage at the wound site for chronic wounds. In summary, NLCs represent an effective nanocarrier system for optimizing the bioavailability of active pharmacological ingredients in the context of wound healing.

Recent Advances in Nanocarrier-based Approaches to Atopic Dermatitis and Emerging Trends in Drug Development and Design

Atopic dermatitis (AD), commonly known as Eczema, is a non-communicable skin condition that tends to become chronic. The deteriorating immunological abnormalities are marked by mild to severe erythema, severe itching, and recurrent eczematous lesions. Different pharmacological approaches are used to treat AD. The problem with commercial topical preparations lies in the limitation of skin atrophy, systemic side effects, and burning sensation that decreases patient compliance. The carrier-based system promises to eliminate these shortcomings; thus, a novel approach to treating AD is required. Liposomes, microemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanoemulsions, etc., have been developed recently to address this ailment. Despite extensive research in the development method and various techniques, it has been challenging to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of these carrier- based systems, which illustrates a gap among the different research areas. Further, different soft wares and other tools have proliferated among biochemists as part of a cooperative approach to drug discovery. It is crucial in designing, developing, and analyzing processes in the pharmaceutical industry and is widely used to reduce costs, accelerate the development of biologically innovative active ingredients, and shorten the development time. This review sheds light on the compilation of extensive efforts to combat this disease, the product development processes, commercial products along with patents in this regard, numerous options for each step of computer-aided drug design, including in silico pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicity screening or predictions that are important in finding the drug-like compounds.

Progresses and Prospects of Neuroprotective Agents-Loaded Nanoparticles and Biomimetic Material in Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke remains the leading cause of death and disability, while the main mechanisms of dominant neurological damage in stroke contain excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The clinical application of many neuroprotective agents is limited mainly due to their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), short half-life and low bioavailability. These disadvantages can be better eliminated/reduced by nanoparticle as the carrier of these drugs. This review expounded the currently hot researched nanomedicines from the perspective of the mechanism of ischemic stroke. In addition, this review describes the bionic nanomedicine delivery strategies containing cells, cell membrane vesicles and exosomes that can effectively avoid the risk of clearance by the reticuloendothelial system. The potential challenges and application prospect for clinical translation of these delivery platforms were also discussed.

Microemulsified Gel Formulations for Topical Delivery of Clotrimazole: Structural and In Vitro Evaluation

Microemulsified gels (μEGs) with fascinating functions have become indispensable as topical drug delivery systems due to their structural flexibility, high stability, and facile manufacturing process. Topical administration is an attractive alternative to traditional methods because of advantages such as noninvasive administration, bypassing first-pass metabolism, and improving patient compliance. In this article, we report on the new formulations of microemulsion-based gels suitable for topical pharmaceutical applications using biocompatible and ecological ingredients. For this, two biocompatible μE formulations comprising clove oil/Brij-35/water/ethanol (formulation A) and clove oil/Brij-35/water/1-propanol (formulation B) were developed to encapsulate and improve the load of an antimycotic drug, Clotrimazole (CTZ), and further gelatinized to control the release of CTZ through skin barriers. By delimiting the pseudo-ternary phase diagram, optimum μE formulations with clove oil (∼15%) and Brij-35 (∼30%) were developed, keeping constant surfactant/co-surfactant ratio (1:1), to upheld 2.0 wt % CTZ. The as-developed formulations were further converted into smart gels by adding 2.0 wt % carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a cross-linker to adhere to the controlled release of CTZ through complex skin barriers. Electron micrographs show a fine, monodispersed collection of CTZ-μE nanodroplets (∼60 nm), which did not coalesce even after gelation, forming spherical CTZ-μEG (∼90 nm). However, the maturity of CTZ nanodroplets observed by dynamic light scattering suggests the affinity of CTZ for the nonpolar microenvironment, which was further supported by the peak-to-peak correlation of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and fluorescence measurement. In addition, HPLC analysis showed that the in vitro permeation release of CTZ-μEG from rabbit skin in the ethanolic phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4) was significantly increased by >98% within 6.0 h. This indicates the sustained release of CTZ in μEBG and the improvement in transdermal therapeutic efficacy of CTZ over its traditional topical formulations.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: A Promising Nanomaterial in Drug Delivery

The solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) usually consists of active drug molecules along with solid lipids, surfactants, and/or co-surfactants. They possess some potential features such as nano-size, surface with a free functional group to attach ligands, and as well they prove safe homing for both lipophilic as well as hydrophilic molecules. As far as synthesis is concerned, SLNs can be prepared by employing various techniques viz., homogenization techniques (e.g., high-pressure, high-speed, cold, or hot homogenization), spray drying technique, ultrasonication, solvent emulsification, double emulsion technique, etc. Apart from this, they are characterized by different methods for determining various parameters like particle-size, polydispersity-index, surface morphology, DSC, XRD, etc. SLNs show good stability as well as the ability for surface tailoring with the specific ligand, which makes them a suitable candidate in the therapy of numerous illnesses, especially in the targeting of the cancers. In spite of this, SLNs have witnessed their application via various routes e.g., oral, parenteral, topical, pulmonary, rectal routes, etc. Eventually, SLNs have also shown great potential for delivery of gene/DNA, vaccines, as well as in cosmeceuticals. Hence, SLNs have emerged as a promising nanomaterial for efficient delivery of various Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).

Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: A Groundbreaking Approach for Transdermal Drug Delivery

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are novel pharmaceutical formulations which are composed of physiological and biocompatible lipids, surfactants and co-surfactants. Over time, as a second generation lipid nanocarrier NLC has emerged as an alternative to first generation nanoparticles. This review article highlights the structure, composition, various formulation methodologies, and characterization of NLCs which are prerequisites in formulating a stable drug delivery system. NLCs hold an eminent potential in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics market because of extensive beneficial effects like skin hydration, occlusion, enhanced bioavailability, and skin targeting. This article aims to evoke an interest in the current state of art NLC by discussing their promising assistance in topical drug delivery system. The key attributes of NLC that make them a promising drug delivery system are ease of preparation, biocompatibility, the feasibility of scale up, non-toxicity, improved drug loading, and stability.