Systematic development and characterization of curcumin-loaded nanogel for topical application

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Pharmaceutics
• Dermatology

Background:

• Conventional curcumin formulations suffer from poor oral bioavailability, low solubility, and extensive first-pass metabolism, limiting their therapeutic efficacy.
• Curcumin exhibits potential anti-inflammatory properties beneficial for skin diseases like psoriasis.
• Developing advanced delivery systems is crucial to overcome curcumin's pharmacokinetic limitations for topical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically develop and characterize curcumin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (CUR-NLCs) for enhanced topical delivery.
• To optimize CUR-NLC formulation using a Quality by Design (QbD) approach.
• To evaluate the potential of CUR-NLCs in a nanogel formulation for psoriasis treatment.

Main Methods:

• CUR-NLCs were prepared using a high-speed homogenization technique.
• Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs were employed to identify critical process parameters and critical quality attributes.
• Characterization included particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, SEM, AFM, XRD, and in vitro/ex vivo studies.

Main Results:

• Optimized CUR-NLCs exhibited nano-metric size (189.4 nm), good encapsulation efficiency (86.72%), and a negative zeta potential (-21.45 mV).
• SEM and AFM confirmed spherical morphology, while XRD indicated an amorphous state.
• The nanogel formulation showed sustained drug release (60.2% in 24h) and significant ex vivo skin permeation (flux: 0.453 µg/cm²·h) and retention.

Conclusions:

• Developed CUR-NLCs offer a promising nanocarrier system for topical curcumin delivery.
• The nanogel formulation enhances curcumin's stability, sustained release, and skin penetration.
• CUR-NLCs represent a potential therapeutic strategy for effective psoriasis management.