LIPID NANOEMULSION-BASED LIQUISOLID COMPACT TABLETS FOR ORAL DELIVERY OF CLOTRIMAZOLE: FABRICATION STRATEGIES, CHARACTERIZATIONS, ANTIMYCOTIC AND TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS

Abstract

This work aims to fabricate liquisolid compact tablets incorporating clotrimazole (CLOT)-loaded lipid nanoemulsions (LNE) for oral treatment of systemic fungal infections. Nanoemulsion was characterized for droplet size, rendered into free-flowing granules and compressed into liquisolid compact tablets, and evaluated using pharmacopoeial and non-pharmacopoeial methods. In-vitro and in vivo antifungal, stability and toxicological tests of the tablets were evaluated. LNE was nanosized (66.7 ± 5.7 - 121.6 ± 3.2 nm). Liquisolid tablets were stable, non-toxic, had uniform weight (341.4 ± 1.2 - 346.7 ± 0.8 mg), drug content uniformity (85.2 ± 0.1 - 99.8 ± 0.2 %), and had excellent disintegration (2.96 ± 0.8 - 5.88 ± 1.3 min), and controlled release property. In-vitro and in vivo antifungal evaluations revealed improved antimycotic activity of CLOT. The results highlight that CLOT-LNE liquisolid compact tablets is a promising carrier system with improved oral utility for the treatment of systemic fungal infections.