A Review of Formulation and Evaluation of Posaconazole-Loaded Niosomal Gel for Enhanced Topical Antifungal Therapy

Fungal infections are one of the biggest global health issues and are linked to serious morbidity, especially in people with impaired immune systems. Poor skin penetration, short retention periods, low bioavailability, and frequent dose needs are some of the problems with traditional topical antifungal treatments. Posaconazole is a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal medication that works well against Aspergillus and Candida species, among other fungal diseases. However, in traditional formulations, its restricted permeability and poor water solubility diminish its therapeutic efficacy. Drug stability, penetration, prolonged release, and targeted administration can all be enhanced by niosomal drug delivery systems, which have shown great promise as nanocarriers. Niosomes are vesicular structures made of cholesterol and non-ionic surfactants that may encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic medications. Posaconazole-loaded niosomes are added to gel systems to improve topical retention and patient compliance. The formulation strategies, preparation methods, optimisation parameters, assessment procedures, therapeutic uses, benefits, drawbacks, and prospects of posaconazole-loaded niosomal gel systems for the treatment of fungal infections are all well covered in this study. A summary of recent developments in topical antifungal systems based on vesicular nanocarriers is also provided. The promise of niosomal gels as efficient substitutes for traditional antifungal formulations is highlighted in this study, which also supports their potential future therapeutic uses.