Abstract

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF TOPICAL AND ETHOSOMAL GELS OF FLUCONAZOLE B.P AND CHLORHEXIDINE B.P.

Sirisha Mittapally* and Nazia Begum

ABSTRACT

In this study topical as well as ethosomal gels of combination of Fluconazole B.P and Chlorhexidine B.P was formulated and is made for better patient compliance. The topical gels F1-F6 were formulated using different concentrations of polymer chitosan (0.5-1%). The ethosomal gels E1-E6 were formulated with different percentages of ethanol (10-30%) and phospholipid (2-3%). The prepared topical and ethosomal gels were subjected to physical evaluations, in vitro diffusion studies, pH determination, viscosity, spreadability, entrapment efficiency, Zeta potential, TEM and SEM. The diffusion studies have shown that the percentage drug release of optimized formulations F4 and E5 after 3 hours were found to be 91.6% Fluconazole B.P, 91.2% Chlorhexidine B.P and 98.7% Fluconazole B.P, 95.3% Chlorhexidine B.P respectively. All the formulations were found to be easily washable, spreadable and free from grittiness. The in vitro drug release studies, evaluation, stability and accelerated stability studies of the topical and ethosomal gels shown that the entrapment efficiency of ethosomes containing 20% w/w ethanol has highest value 91.1% with respect to all other formulations. Hence, the formulation E5 containing 20% w/w has the promising results with 98.7% Fluconazole B.P and 95.3% Chlorhexidine B.P drug release after 3 hours with pH 6.7, viscosity 40,500 cps, Zeta potential 23.1 (mV), with specific vesicular size and shape confirmed by SEM and TEM.

Keywords: Ethosomes, Phospholipids, Ethanol, Entrapment efficiency.