European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF METHOXSALEN LOADED NANOGEL FOR MANAGEMENT OF PSORIASIS

*Md. Sarfraz Ahmad, Vinod Kumar Dhote, Kanika Dhote and Surendra Jain

ABSTRACT

Nanomedicine, a novel concept, bears much hope in delivering drug candidates having low solubility and bioavailability. Nanogel, one of the emerging tools, is considered as ideal carriers for the topical delivery of lipophilic drugs to overcome these challenges in the management of psoriasis and related skin problems. Psoriasis is an auto-immune and chronic inflammatory disease affecting 2-3% population of the world. Current available treatment of psoriasis has limitations such as systemic side effects and low percutaneous permeation, which evokes a dire need to develop an alternative nanocarriers system. Methoxsalen is powerful anti-psoriatic agent, widely used in the treatment of psoriasis and also used in vitiligo. The pharmacokinetic parameters of methoxsalen make it a suitable candidate for development of nanogel. The present work is to formulate and evaluate the methoxsalen nanogel. The nanogel of methoxsalen is prepared by solvent diffusion method (high speed homogenization) using carbopol 940 and Poloxamer 407 as polymers and triethanolamine as a gelling agent and evaluated for homogeneity, pH, spreadability, extrudability, drug content studies, viscosity, in-vitro diffusion and stabilities studies. FTIR studies revealed that the drug and polymer are compatible with each other during preparation. Homogeneity and extrudability studies reveal that the nanogel was homogenous and easily extrudable. The pH data shows all the formulations are in the range of 4.9 to 6.9 and they are in compatible to skin pH. Viscosity studies show the results in the range of 23,486-51,486cps, and having good viscous property. The drug content studies of formulations were from 86 to 94 %. In vitro diffusion studies of prepared nano gel follow first order dissolution kinetics with controlled release mechanism. From the stability studies data, it was found that there was no such difference in drug content and In-vitro drug release. This indicates the prepared nano gel formulations are stable. Formulation F3 shows good results for the invitro diffusion studies for controlled release.

Keywords: Methoxsalen, Nanomedicine, Nanogel, Psoriasis, Solvent diffusion method.