ADVANCED FORMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF FLURBIPROFEN-LOADED NANOEMULGEL: EXPLORING NOVEL NANO-CARRIERS AND DRUG DELIVERY ENHANCEMENTS

Abstract

The objective of this study was to create and refine a topical nanoemulgel containing flurbiprofen in order to increase its permeability and water solubility without causing first- pass metabolism. Peppermint oil, Tween 80, and PEG-400 were selected as the oil phase, surfactant, and co-surfactant, respectively, following individual screening processes. To formulate the nanoemulsion, the ideal oil to Smix (surfactant and co-surfactant mixture) ratio was found by a pseudo-ternary phase research. A high-pressure microfluidization method was used to create the nanoemulsions (named NEF1 through NEF9). A 22 Central Composite Design (CCD) served as the basis for the optimisation procedure. The dependent variables were particle size and drug release percentage (%DR), while the independent variables were peppermint oil (X1) and the Smix ratio (X2).Particle sizes of 69.5±0.5 nm to 297.1±1.1 nm, zeta potentials of -35.19±0.02 to -18.91±0.27, PDI values of 0.147 to 0.666, and in vitro drug release percentages of 76±0.81% to 92.1±0.3% were all displayed by the optimised nanoemulsions. A 1% Carbopol 934 gel basis was combined with the ideal formulation (NEF1) to create a 5% w/w Flurbiprofen nanoemulgel. This nanoemulgel was evaluated for various properties, displaying a spreadability of 7.6±0.2 cm, a pH value of 5.8±0.63, a percentage drug release of 97.4±0.21%, and a flux of 5.29±1.20 µg/cm²•h. Comparative studies revealed that the 5% Flurbiprofen nanoemulgel achieved superior drug release, with an 80.12% improvement over the marketed 5% Flurbiprofen gel (Brugel). Additionally, the nanoemulgel remained stable at 4°C for 90 days.This research successfully developed and optimized a Flurbiprofen-loaded nanoemulgel with significantly improved drug release properties compared to the commercial product, showcasing favorable characteristics and stability for potential topical delivery applications.