FORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CIPROFLOXACIN MICROSPHERES INCORPORATED GEL

ABSTRACTCiprofloxacin, a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is widely used for themanagement of skin and soft-tissue infections; however, its conventional topical formulationsoften suffer from poor sustained release and inadequate residence time at the site of action.The present study was undertaken to formulate and evaluate ciprofloxacin-loadedmicrospheres incorporated into a topical gel system for improved and controlled antibacterialdrug delivery. Microspheres were prepared and characterized for surface morphology,particle size, surface charge, drug-excipient compatibility, entrapment efficiency, percentageyield, drug content and physical appearance. Scanning electron microscopy revealedpredominantly spherical microspheres with a smooth surface and minimal aggregation, whiledynamic light scattering indicated a narrow particle size distribution of approximately 1-1.5micrometre. Zeta potential analysis confirmed a slightly negative surface charge favouringdispersion stability, and FTIR spectroscopy verified the absence of significant drug-excipientinteraction. The microspheres exhibited an entrapment efficiency of 96.22%, percentage yieldof 86.2% and drug content of 96.22%. Five gel formulations (F1-F5) incorporating themicrospheres were evaluated for physical appearance, spreadability, extrudability,washability, pH, viscosity and in-vitro drug release. Formulation F2 demonstrated superiorspreadability, excellent washability and extrudability, an optimal pH of 7.3, favourableviscosity, and the highest cumulative drug release of approximately 93.95% at 60 minutes.Stability studies confirmed that F2 remained physically stable under long-term andaccelerated storage conditions. Based on these findings, F2 was identified as the optimizedciprofloxacin microsphere-loaded gel formulation, offering a promising sustained-releasetopical delivery system for the effective management of bacterial skin infections.