Development of a Novel Luliconazole SLN Gel for Enhanced Topical Antifungal Therapy

Background: A common therapy for superficial fungal infections is luliconazole, a broad-spectrum imidazole antifungal medication. Its short skin retention period and restricted water solubility, however, limit its therapeutic effectiveness when applied using traditional topical formulations. Objective: The goal of this study is to create and assess a new topical gel of luliconazole based on solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) in order to improve skin penetration, extend retention, and offer controlled drug release. Methods: Stearic acid was used as the lipid matrix and Poloxamer 188 as the surfactant in the hot homogenization followed by ultrasonication procedure to create miconazole-loaded SLNs. To create a topical gel, the optimized SLN dispersion was mixed with a Carbopol 934 gel basis. Particle size, zeta potential, drug entrapment effectiveness, pH, viscosity, and in vitro drug release were all evaluated for the formulation.