POSACONAZOLE-LOADED QUATSOMES ENTRAPPED TOPICAL GEL FOR ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY: FORMULATION, EX VIVO AND CELL LINE STUDIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2026v18i4.58029Keywords:
Posaconazole, Quatsomes, Topical gel, Ex-vivo, Activity, MTT assayAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to formulate and evaluate a posaconazole-loaded quatsomes gel for topical delivery to overcome the poor aqueous solubility of posaconazole and to enhance local drug retention and efficacy.
Methods: Posaconazole-loaded quatsomes were prepared by the thin film hydration method and optimized using a 3² factorial design. The optimized quatsomes were incorporated into a carbopol 940P gel. The formulations were evaluated for pH, viscosity, spreadability, drug content, in vitro drug release, ex vivo skin permeation, activity against Candida albicans, and cytotoxicity using MTT assay on Caco2 and HepG2 cell lines.
Results: Among the developed formulations, F3 showed optimal physicochemical properties with drug content of 96.38±0.42%, suitable viscosity (3201.6 cP), and good spreadability (4.58 g·cm/s). The optimized formulation exhibited sustained drug release 91.6 ± 0.51% at 8 h compared with pure drug gel. The quatsomes gel showed enhanced activity with a zone of inhibition of 23 ± 0.4 mm against Candida albicans. MTT assay demonstrated acceptable cell viability (>80%) at lower concentrations (10 µg/mL), with dose-dependent cytotoxicity at higher concentrations.
Conclusion: Posaconazole-loaded quatsomes gel represents a promising topical delivery system for poorly soluble drugs, offering enhanced efficacy with acceptable safety at therapeutic concentrations.
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