FORMULATION & CHARACTERIZATION OF NANOSTRUCTURED LIPID CARRIER (NLC) BASED GEL FOR TOPICAL DELIVERY OF ETORICOXIB

Abstract

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC)-based topical gel of Etoricoxib was prepared with the aim for the treatment of inflammation and allied conditions. The composition of NLC consisted of Stearic acid as solid lipid, oleic acid as liquid lipid and tween 80 as a surfactant. NLCs prepared by melt-emulsification and low temperature solidification techniques were characterized by particle sizing technology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All of the NLC showed high entrapment efficiency ranging from 69% to 76%. Both the entrapment and release rate were affected by the percentage of oleic acid. NLC-F3G-C was selected as best formulation with average particle size of 244 nm and polydispersity index of 0.690 indicating homogeneity in particle size distribution. The higher magnitude of zeta potential of NLC-F3G-C indicates the stability of formulation. The nanoparticulate dispersion was suitably gelled and assessed for Physical appearance, Homogeneity, Spreadability and in-vitro permeation study. In-vitro drug release pattern of developed NLC dispersion gel showed burst and prolong release. It was concluded that developed NLC gel of Etoricoxib holds promise for prolonged availability of drug in the skin tissues and can be used for better management of inflammatory conditions. Keywords: Etricoxib • Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) • Topical gel • Nanoparticl