Formulation Development and Characterization of Dapsone Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Incorporated In Gel for Topical Delivery In Treatment of Leprosy

Abstract

The main objective of this work was to develop and characterize Dapsone loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers which were then incorporated in the gel for topical delivery in the treatment of the disease leprosy. NLC formulations were successfully prepared using High Shear Homogenization Technique and the effect of various process parameters such as surfactant type, surfactant concentration, and homogenization speed were observed. For developing formulation, Cetyl Palmitate and Triacetin were selected as solid lipid and liquid lipid respectively on the basis of solubility. Tween-80 was selected as surfactant on the basis of low solubility as it prevents expulsion of the drug during storage. Lastly, NLCs were characterized for particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Entrapment Efficiency, and In-vitro drug release. The particle size of the optimized batch was found to be 242.2 nm and the entrapment efficiency was found to be 68.2%. The optimized batch of NLCs nearly possessed the predicted particle size, entrapment efficiency. The drug release profile of the NLC dispersion and final gel was compared for up to 48 hours which showed controlled release. Based on these results, Dapsone-loaded NLC may prove as a promising carrier for topical delivery and enhanced bioavailability.