FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF KETOCONAZOLE LOADED EMULGEL FOR ENHANCED TOPICAL ANTIFUNGAL DELIVERY

Topical drug delivery systems offer advantages such as localized drug targeting, avoidance of first-pass metabolism, and improved patient compliance. Among these, emulgels have emerged as a promising platform for the delivery of hydrophobic drugs due to their combined benefits of emulsions and gels. This study focuses on the formulation and evaluation of a ketoconazole emulgel intended for effective topical treatment of fungal infections including tinea, candidiasis, pityriasis versicolor, dandruff, and seborrheic dermatitis. Eight different formulations (F1–F8) were developed using Carbopol 934, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and sodium alginate as gelling agents, with light liquid paraffin as the oil phase, Tween 80 as an emulsifier, propylene glycol as a co-surfactant, and methyl and propyl parabens as preservatives. The pH was adjusted to 6.0–6.5 using triethanolamine. All formulations were evaluated for solubility, drug content, viscosity, spreadability, pH, FTIR compatibility, in vitro drug release, entrapment efficiency, and antifungal activity. Results showed that the formulations exhibited good solubility in methanol and phosphate buffer (pH 5.5), uniform drug content, satisfactory rheological properties, and physical stability. FTIR analysis confirmed no interaction between the drug and excipients. Among the eight formulations, F4 was found to be the most effective, showing a drug content of 94.64%, entrapment efficiency of 94%, and a sustained in vitro drug release of 85.02% over 6 hours following Korsmeyer–Peppas kinetics with non-Fickian diffusion. The antifungal study demonstrated that F4 had a significantly larger zone of inhibition compared to marketed formulations, indicating superior therapeutic efficacy. In conclusion, the optimized ketoconazole emulgel formulation (F4) was found to be a stable, effective, and promising alternative for topical delivery of ketoconazole, providing controlled drug release, improved skin penetration, and enhanced antifungal activity over conventional formulations.