Innovative Vesicular Drug Delivery System of Ibuprofen with Unsaturated Fatty Acids: Formulation and Evaluation

Inflammation is a complex physiological response involved in numerous pathological conditions, requiring effective treatment. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have long been utilized to alleviate inflammation associated symptoms. Conventional topical formulations of NSAID suffer from limitations such as poor skin penetration, low drug retention, and inadequate therapeutic efficacy. To overcome this limitations, novel vesicular drug delivery systems, particularly transferosomes, have emerged as promising alternatives. Transferosomes, a specialized type of deformable liposomes, offers unique advantage for targeted drug delivery through the skin. They can deform and squeeze through narrow intercellular spaces, enhancing drug permeation into underlying tissues. This facilitates deepest penetration of NSAIDs into inflamed regions, maximizing therapeutic effects while minimizing systemic exposure and adverse effects. Transferosomes, formed via thin film hydration method with oleic acid, cholesterol, surfactant, and organic solvent. They have a particle size of 297nm and a mean zeta potential of -24.2mV. Entrapment efficiency is 83% and demonstrates effective drug retention. The optimized batch is chosen on particle size and entrapment efficiency, and these incorporated into carbopol 934 gel and evaluated for appearance, grittiness, texture pH, spreadability, extrudability, drug content and in-vitro drug release. This comprehension evaluation ensures formulation efficiency. Overall, the development and evaluation of novel vesicular drug delivery systems, particularly transferosomes, represent significant advancement in drug delivery technology. By utilizing their unique properties, these systems hold promise for improving therapeutic efficacy and enabling sustain release in the treatment of inflammatory conditions.