Abstract

ENHANCING THE EFFICACY OF TEA TREE OIL NANO-EMULSION THROUGH SILVER NANOPARTICLE INTEGRATION: A COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION ON THE TREATMENT OF PITYRIASIS VERSICOLOR

Nikita Sagar, Suman Jaiswal, Arvind Kumar Srivastava*, Alok Mukerjee

ABSTRACT

Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising technology in the 21st century, allowing manipulation and manufacturing of materials at the nanoscale. Nanoemulsion-based formulations have gained popularity for treating fungal infections due to their targeted administration and increased bioavailability. In this study, silver nanoparticle and silver nanoparticle loaded tea tree oil nanoemulsions were successfully prepared using a low-energy method. Characterization of the nanoemulsions revealed a 305 nm-shifted peak in the UV-visible absorption spectra and various shapes of silver nanoparticles through SEM studies, confirming their stability with negative zeta potential values. The droplet size and Polydispersity Index (PDI) were found to significantly influence drug release, penetration, and biodistribution. The formulated nanoemulsion demonstrated high uniformity and stability with a PDI value of 0.210 and a droplet size of 348.4 nm. Moreover, AgNPs loaded tea tree oil showed superior antifungal activity compared to AgNPs alone and was comparable to the commercially available miconazole against the C. albicans strain, highlighting its high bioavailability and potential for inhibiting fungal growth. In conclusion, the successful formulation and evaluation of AgNPs loaded tea tree oil nanoemulsion present promising and efficient antifungal treatment options. This study opens new avenues for nanotechnology in medicine, offering enhanced efficacy and targeted therapy against fungal diseases. Further research and applications in this field hold significant potential for advancing healthcare and combating drug-resistant fungal infections.

Keywords: Nanotechnology, nanoemulsion, silver nanoparticles, tea tree oil, antifungal, Pityriasis Versicolor, drug delivery.