Optimization and Characterization of Khellin Loaded Nanogel for the Potential Use in Psoriasis Management

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that affects patients' quality of life. Treating psoriasis remains a significant challenge due to various factors, including individual response variability, drug resistance, and the range of side effects associated with currently available medications. Nowadays, numerous research efforts are being made aiming at overcoming the obstacles of the available psoriasis treatments are still taking place.

This research aims to develop and evaluate a nanogel formulation loaded with khellin for the effective treatment of psoriasis.

Khellin nanogel was prepared using the self-assembly method with a synthesized gelatin- pluronic copolymer. The novel formulation was characterized via size, size distribution, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro release, and ex vivo skin deposition.

The final nanogel formulation had an average size of 119.6 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.248 and an excellent encapsulation efficiency of 88%. In vitro drug release study demonstrated that nanogels showed a great accelerated drug release profile by releasing khellin within 2 hours, which is suitable for photochemotherapy applications. In addition, khellin-loaded nanogel formulation had 1.7 times better skin deposition potential than the control gel formulation.

The prepared nanogel formulation provides a high potential to be an ideal drug delivery system of khellin in combination with phototherapy for more efficient psoriasis treatment.