Palm Olein Emulsion: a Novel Vehicle for Topical Drug Delivery of Betamethasone 17-Valerate

Formulation and evaluation of fluconazole emulgels for potential treatment of vaginal candidiasis

Localised treatment of vaginal candidiasis could improve the therapeutic outcomes of patients with vaginal candidiasis as well as reduce drug dosage and dosing interval. The aim of the research project was to develop fluconazole emulgel formulations, and evaluate their physicochemical, drug release, antifungal, safety, and stability profile, for potential treatment of vaginal candidiasis. Xanthan gum and HPMC E5LV-based fluconazole emulgels were prepared using the spontaneous emulsification method and their physicochemical properties, drug content, drug release profile, anti-fungal activity against Candida albicans, in vivo vaginal biocompatibility and stability profile were evaluated using standard protocols. The fluconazole emulgels exhibited satisfactory properties: pH: 5.2-5.4; spreadability: 1.6-2.5 cm; apparent viscosity: 85-314 cP; zone of inhibition against Candida albicans: 22-38 mm; drug content: 91-102 %, and vaginal biocompatibility. All the studied fluconazole emulgels exhibited controlled fluconazole release over 6 h and their drug release kinetics fitted well with Korsmeyer-Peppas model. HPMC-based emulgels exhibited unsatisfactory real-time stability profile. To our knowledge, this is the first report where xanthan gum and HPMC E5LV-based fluconazole emulgels have been studied for possible treatment of vaginal candidiasis. Xanthan gum-based fluconazole emulgels are promising drug formulations that could reduce the drug dosage and dosing frequency. In addition, they could serve as alternative dosage forms to Flucos® gel.

Fabrication and Biological Activities of All-in-One Composite Nanoemulsion Based on Blumea balsamifera Oil-Tea Tree Oil

Nanoemulsion is a new multi-component drug delivery system; the selection of different oil phases can give it special physiological activity, and play the role of "medicine and pharmaceutical excipients all-in-one". In this paper, we used glycyrrhizic acid as the natural surfactant, and Blumea balsamifera oil (BB) and tea tree oil (TTO) as the mixed oil phase, to obtain a new green functional composite nanoemulsion. Using the average particle size and polydispersion index (PDI) as the evaluation criteria, the effects of the oil ratio, oil content, glycyrrhizic acid concentration, and ultrasonic time on the nanoemulsion were systematically investigated. The stability and physicochemical properties and biological activities of BB-TTO NEs prepared via the optimum formulation were characterized. The optimal prescription was BB: TTO = 1:1, 5% oil phase, 0.7% glycyrrhizic acid, and 5 min ultrasonication time. The mean particle size, PDI, and zeta potential were 160.01 nm, 0.125, and -50.94 mV, respectively. The nanoemulsion showed non-significant changes in stability after centrifugation, dilution, and 120 days storage. These nanoemulsions were found to exhibit potential antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of BB-TTO NEs against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is 2975 μg/mL, 2975 μg/mL, and 5950 μg/mL, respectively. A lower level of inflammatory cell infiltration and proportion of fibrosis were found in the synovial tissue of AIA rats treated with BB-TTO NEs. These findings demonstrate that the BB-TTO NEs produced in this study have significant potential for usage in antibacterial and anti-inflammatory areas.

Palm Oil in Lipid-Based Formulations and Drug Delivery Systems

Palm oil is natural oil packed with important compounds and fatty acids ready to be exploited in lipid-based formulations and drug delivery. Palm oil and palm kernel oil contain long-chain and medium-chain triglycerides, respectively, including phytonutrients such as tocotrienol, tocopherol and carotenes. The exploitation of these compounds in a lipid-based formulation would be able to address hydrophobicity, lipophilicity, poor bioavailability and low water-solubility of many current drugs. The utilisation of palm oil as part of the drug delivery system seemed to improve the bioavailability and solubility of the drug, stabilising emulsification of formulation between emulsifier and surfactant, promoting enhanced drug permeability and performance, as well as extending the shelf-life of the drug. Despite the complexity in designing lipid-based formulations, palm oil has proven to offer dynamic behaviour in providing versatility in drug design, form and delivery. However, the knowledge and application of palm oil and its fractions in lipid-based formulation are scarce and interspersed. Therefore, this study aims to focus on the research and outcomes of using palm oil in lipid-based formulations and drug delivery systems, due to the importance of establishing its capabilities and benefits.