Development and Characterization of Adapalene Loaded Microemulsion-Based Hydrogel for Acne Treatment

Shilpa Dawre*, Saloni Agarwal — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Presently, acne is affecting globally many people (9.4%) and one of the leading causes of stress especially in youths. Adapalene (AD) has been applied successfully for acne treatment. However, adapalene drug is from BCS class II and exhibits less solubility in water (<1mg/mL) & causes skin irritation which leads to patient incompliance. The objective of the current study was design of microemulsion-based gel for topical delivery of adapalene. Solubility studies demonstrated that adapalene exhibit good solubility in Tween 80, propylene glycol, and oleic acid. The microemulsion showed globule size 248.4±2 nm, PDI (0.251), and Zeta potential (-15.8 mV) confirming colloidal stability. The dilutability and freeze-thaw study of microemulsion showed no sign of phase separation. The microemulsion-based gel showed clarity, pH (5±0.5), viscosity (64cps), and good spreadability (6.5±0.6 cm) for topical application. In-vitro gel formation study showed that inclusion of polymer (Carbopol 940) maintained viscosity of microemulsion-based hydrogel for longer period of time. Dissolution study demonstrated that AD showed sustained release for 24h from gel as compared to microemulsion and drug suspension. Thus, it could be a prospective formulation for acne treatment via topical route which can improve patient compliance by reducing skin irritation.

International Journal of Drug Delivery & Controlled Release

Development and Characterization of Adapalene Loaded Microemulsion-Based Hydrogel for Acne Treatment