Development And Characterization of Amphotericin B Nanogel Based Drug Delivery System for Topical Application

Amphotericin B (AmB), a polyene antifungal agent, exhibits poor aqueous solubility and systemic toxicity, limiting its therapeutic utility in topical fungal infections. This research aimed to develop a nanogel-based drug delivery system to enhance solubility, improve drug release, and reduce toxicity. Nanogels were prepared using the emulsion solvent diffusion method, employing Carbopol 940 and Sodium alginate as gelling and co-polymers, respectively, with DMSO as a solvent. Five formulations (F1–F5) were developed and evaluated based on physical appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, percentage drug content, in vitro diffusion, drug release kinetics, production yield, skin irritation potential, particle size, and zeta potential. Among the batches, formulation F4 demonstrated the highest drug content (94.83%), optimal viscosity (4700 cP), and favourable spreadability (8.003 ± 0.041 g.cm/sec). The percentage production yield of the optimized batch F4 was found to be 90.4%. In vitro drug release and diffusion studies for the optimized formulation (F4) demonstrated a cumulative drug release of 97.62% over 8 hours, exhibiting sustained release characteristics. The release kinetics best fitted the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (R² = 0.9895, n = 0.9017), indicating a diffusion-controlled mechanism with anomalous (non-Fickian) transport. The particle size of F4 averaged 195.33 nm with a zeta potential of -23.8 mV, indicating good colloidal stability. Skin irritation study confirmed the formulation as non-irritant. The 1:1 ratio of Carbopol 940 to sodium alginate in formulation F4 was found to be optimal for achieving desirable nanogel characteristics.