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Updated: Apr 25, 2026

A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials
Published on: March 3, 2023
A Quality-by-Design Approach Based Formulation, Optimization, In Vitro and Ex Vivo Evaluation of Delafloxacin-Loaded
Deesha Jain1, Devaraj Yallappa1, Modhusmita Gogoi2
1Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Ahmedabad, Palaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India.
This study developed a delafloxacin (DFX) ethosomal (ETHs) gel for enhanced topical delivery and antibacterial action against skin infections. The optimized DFX-ETHs gel demonstrated improved efficacy and safety for treating bacterial skin conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Dermatology
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Topical antibiotic delivery faces challenges in efficacy and penetration.
- Delafloxacin (DFX) is a potent antibiotic for skin infections.
- Ethosomes (ETHs) offer enhanced topical drug delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize delafloxacin-loaded ethosomal gel (DFX-ETHs) for improved topical antibacterial therapy.
- To optimize the DFX-ETHs formulation using a Quality by Design approach.
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the DFX-ETHs gel for skin infections.
Main Methods:
- Ethosomal vesicles (ETHs) loaded with delafloxacin (DFX) were prepared using a cold method.
- A Quality by Design framework, including Box-Behnken design, was used for optimization.
- Characterization involved vesicle size, entrapment efficiency, morphology (FE-SEM), drug release kinetics, cytotoxicity, irritation tests, ex vivo permeation, and antimicrobial assays.
Main Results:
- Optimized DFX-ETHs showed favorable characteristics: 263.6 nm size, -5.99 mV zeta potential, 0.173 PDI, and 90.17% entrapment efficiency.
- FE-SEM confirmed spherical vesicles with a smooth surface.
- The formulation exhibited sustained release, biocompatibility, non-irritancy, enhanced ex vivo permeation, and superior antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Cutibacterium acnes compared to free DFX.
Conclusions:
- Ethosomal gel systems are effective and safe carriers for topical delafloxacin delivery.
- The developed DFX-ETHs gel significantly improves antibacterial efficacy against common skin pathogens.
- This nanoformulation holds promise for treating bacterial skin infections.
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