Polymeric Nanoparticle Formulation, Characterization and Penetration Study for Topical Delivery of Timolol Maleate

Infantile hemangioma (IH), while usually not life-threatening, often carries the risk of complications and causes anxiety due to changes in appearance. While regarded as an effective therapeutic choice, timolol maleate (TM) is mostly effective for mild and superficial lesions due to its limited absorption. The goal of this study was to examine the potency of natural polymers to be utilized as main ingredients in nanoparticle formulations to be used as a potential alternative for treating IH. The major ingredients chosen for nanoparticle production were chitosan and acacia gum. Different combinations of polymer concentrations were examined to improve the characteristics of an optimal formula. The nanoparticles obtained were assessed in terms of their physical properties, encapsulation efficiency, and skin permeation. The resulting nanoparticles (TMNP) exhibited a spherical morphology, had diameters of 175.417 ± 3.144 nm, a PDI of 0.346 ± 0.031 and ZP of 31.95 ± 1.09 mV. An encapsulation efficiency value of 17.42 ± 0.02% was considerably adequate to promote desirable activity towards IH. The nanoparticle exhibited enhanced penetration of drug compared to the unencapsulated form. This research is hoped to contribute to the expanding application of nanoparticle technology, particularly in the treatment of infantile hemangioma utilizing nanoparticles derived from natural sources.