title: Design and development of a safer non-invasive transungual drug delivery system for topical treatment of onychomycosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this study is to develop a safer non-invasive treatment for nail infections since the current treatment regimen has drawbacks like, incidence of systemic side-effects and higher cost. Proposed topical treatment on the other hand can drastically improve the situation, hence highly desirable. This work was undertaken with a hypothesis to develop a transungual microemulsion gel for topical treatment of onychomycosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Benzyl alcohol and isopropyl myristate were used as oil, Pluronic F68 as surfactant and ethanol as co surfactant, in double-distilled water and loading itraconazole as the model antifungal drug. Pseudo-ternary phase diagram was developed by titrating different ratios of total oil and water with total surfactant, and Km ratio was fixed at 1:1. Microemulsion formulations were prepared based on the phase diagram and incorporated in gels by adding Carbopol 934P. Nail permeation enhancers like urea and salicylic acid were used to increase drug permeation through the nail plate. Parameters like drug loading, clarity, particle size distribution, drug entrapment efficiency (DEE), drug release profile, release kinetics and nail uptake were checked for the evaluation of the formulations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete release of drug from the formulation varied from 60 to 120 min. The optimized formulation had DEE of 92.75%, complete drug release in 60 min and highest nail uptake of 0.386%/mm(2) (39 µg of drug) with 5% urea as nail permeation enhancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The formulation may prove beneficial in safer treatment of onychomycosis.
authors: Department of Pharmaceutics, Krupanidhi College of Pharmacy , Bangalore, Karnataka , India .
authors: Paulami
authors: P
authors: Pal
authors: R S
authors: RS
authors: Thakur
authors: Subhabrata
authors: S
authors: Ray
authors: Bhaskar
authors: B
authors: Mazumder
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D004655:Emulsions; D005079:Excipients / Q000737:chemistry; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D009262:Nails / Q000378:metabolism*; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010316:Particle Size; D010539:Permeability; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004655:Emulsions; D005079:Excipients; D005782:Gels; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D017964:Itraconazole; D014508:Urea
keywords: Itraconazole and benzyl alcohol; microemulsion; onychomycosis; transungual drug delivery