Preparation and Characterization of Topical NIOSOMAL Gel for Acne Treatment

Abstract

Acne is a widespread skin condition that usually impacts individuals at some point in their lives. The structure of
the stratum corneum is often likened to a brick wall, with corneocytes surrounded by intercellular lipid lamellae
acting as the mortar. Using elastic vesicles (niosomes) that can be transported through channel-like structures in the
skin is a highly efficient approach for delivering drugs to the affected area of the skin. This study utilized niosomes
as a delivery system for a combination of adapalene and benzoyl peroxide (BPO). The aim was to effectively
treat acne by targeting the site of infection. Within this section, the evaluation of drugs enclosed in a niosomal
gel formulation was conducted to determine their specific characteristics through in vitro and ex vivo testing. The
drug content in niosomal gel formulation F2 is 91.11%, in F6 is 94.21%, and in F8 is 96.99%. The total percentage
of drug release from formulations containing ordinary adapalene gel (F8) was 99.27%. The release kinetics of
the chosen niosomal gel were precisely regulated through diffusion, specifically following the Higuchi model.
In a span of 24 h, the niosomal gel allowed for a precise permeation of 6.25 ± 0.14 g/cm2 of adapalene, whereas
the permeation of BPO amounted to 5.04 ± 0.014 g/cm2. Furthermore, the niosome gel’s stability was assessed
at various temperatures to identify the necessary storage conditions for preserving the quality of the formulation