Formulation of Miconazole-Loaded Chitosan–Carbopol Vesicular Gel: Optimization to In Vitro Characterization, Irritation, and Antifungal Assessment

Abstract

Miconazole nitrate (MN) is a poorly water-soluble and antifungal drug used for fungal infections. The present research work was designed to develop topical MN-loaded bilosomes (BSs) for the improvement of therapeutic efficacy. MZBSs were prepared by using the thin-film hydration method and further optimized by using the Box–Behnken statistical design (BBD). The optimized miconazole bilosome (MZBSo) showed nano-sized vesicles, a low polydispersity index, a high entrapment efficiency, and zeta potential. Further, MZBSo was incorporated into the gel using carbopol 934P and chitosan polymers. The selected miconazole bilosome gel (MZBSoG2) demonstrated an acceptable pH (6.4 ± 0.1), viscosity (1856 ± 21 cP), and spreadability (6.6 ± 0.2 cm2). Compared to MZBSo (86.76 ± 3.7%), MZBSoG2 showed a significantly (p Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The stability study results showed no significant changes after stability testing under accelerated conditions. MZ-loaded gels could serve as effective alternative carriers for improving therapeutic efficacy.

Keywords

• miconazole nitrate
• bilosome
• gel
• irritation study
• antifungal activity