FORMULATION DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CLOCORTOLONE LOADED SOLID LIPID NANOCARRIERS FOR DERMAL APPLICATION

The present investigation aimed to develop and characterize Clocortolone-loaded Solid Lipid Nanocarriers (SLNs) for dermal application in order to enhance drug stability, provide controlled drug release, and improve therapeutic efficacy. Pre-formulation studies of Clocortolone were performed to evaluate its organoleptic properties, solubility, pH, melting point, λ max, calibration curve. Clocortolone-loaded SLNs were prepared by the solvent emulsification evaporation technique using stearic acid as the solid lipid and Tween 80 as the surfactant. The prepared formulations were evaluated for various parameters including physical appearance, particle size, zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug release, and stability. The particle size of the developed SLNs ranged from 164.27 nm to 244.6 nm, confirming successful preparation of nanoparticles suitable for dermal delivery. Among all formulations, SLNs4 exhibited the smallest particle size (164.27 nm), highest zeta potential (–30.2 mV), and maximum entrapment efficiency (94.76%), indicating superior formulation stability and enhanced drug encapsulation. SEM analysis revealed that the nanoparticles were nearly spherical in shape with smooth surface morphology. In vitro drug release studies showed a sustained release profile with approximately 97.98% cumulative drug release over a period of 15 hours. Drug release kinetic analysis indicated that the optimized formulation followed the Higuchi diffusion model with an R² value of 0.991, suggesting diffusion-controlled drug release from the lipid matrix. Stability studies performed under both long-term and accelerated storage conditions demonstrated no significant changes in particle size or entrapment efficiency, confirming the stability of the optimized formulation. The study concluded that Clocortolone-loaded solid lipid nanocarriers can be successfully formulated as a stable and efficient dermal drug delivery system capable of improving controlled drug release, bioavailability, and therapeutic performance.