Formulation, Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Ciclopirox Olamine- Loaded Vaterite Carrier- Based Hydrogel for Enhancing Antifungal Activity

The present study aimed to develop a Ciclopirox olamine-loaded calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) vaterite nanoparticle hydrogel as an enhanced topical antifungal delivery system. Ciclopirox olamine-loaded CaCO₃ nanoparticles were prepared using a microemulsion-based method and evaluated by physicochemical, computational, pharmaceutical, and microbiological approaches. The nanoparticles exhibited a mean hydrodynamic diameter of 84.7 nm, low polydispersity (PDI 0.043), and a zeta potential of −39.4 mV, indicating a relatively uniform and stable nanosuspension. FTIR, SEM, and TEM analyses supported drug incorporation and nanoparticle formation. Molecular docking against Candida albicans Mep2 (PDB: 6EJ6) showed a binding affinity of −6.8 kcal/mol, while ADMET analysis indicated favourable drug-likeness. The optimized hydrogel demonstrated 80.5% drug permeation, pH 5.9, viscosity of 5549 cP, and good spreadability and washability. Against Candida tropicalis, the formulation produced inhibition zones of 21.5 ± 0.55 and 25.0 ± 0.22 mm at 50 and 100 µg/mL, respectively, with significant biofilm inhibition and morphological disruption. Overall, the vaterite nanoparticle–hydrogel platform demonstrated enhanced antifungal performance and topical delivery potential, highlighting its promise as a novel carrier system for Ciclopirox olamine.