FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF NANOGEL CONTAINING FLUCONAZOLE

Fungal infections present substantial healthcare challenges globally, particularly impacting the skin, mucosa, and immunocompromised patients. Superficial mycoses, such as seborrheic dermatitis, tinea, and candidiasis, are notably persistent and recurrent under conventional therapy. The management of such infections often necessitates prolonged antifungal therapy, which may be limited by poor bioavailability, toxicity, and the potential development of resistance.[1,2] Fluconazole, a triazole antifungal, has gained prominence for its efficacy against a broad spectrum of fungal pathogens, including Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp., and various dermatophytes. Owing to its mechanism—blocking lanosterol 14-α-demethylase in the fungal ergosterol pathway—fluconazole inhibits fungal cell membrane synthesis, making it a drug of choice for superficial and systemic mycoses.[3,4] However, topical fluconazole formulations often suffer from low skin retention and limited permeation, necessitating enhanced delivery systems to realize their full therapeutic potential.[5,6] Nanotechnology allows existing commercial pharmaceutical formulations—especially those with challenging characteristics such as poor solubility, high cost, or toxicity—to be optimized for better bioavailability, improved safety, and enhanced pharmacoeconomic profiles.[7,8] J.K.K. Nattraja College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutics.