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This work aimed to prepare ketoconazole-loaded ethosomes and binary ethosomes to improve its skin delivery and antifungal efficacy. A 32 factorial design was used to optimize the ethosomes and formulate ketoconazole-loaded binary ethosomes. Ethosomes and binary ethosomes were evaluated for particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, percent drug entrapment efficiency, drug release, skin permeation and deposition and antifungal efficacy. The ethosomes particle size ranged from 78.99±16.72 to 321.53±10.41 nm and decreased by increasing phospholipid and ethanol concentrations. The polydispersity index values were in the range of 0.17±0.01 to 0.49 ± 0.04. The percent drug entrapment efficiency ranged from 36.09±2.66 to 95.89±0.19 and increased by increasing phospholipid concentration while ethanol concentration had the opposite effect. The binary ethosomes had smaller size but similar drug entrapment efficiency and zeta potential compared with the ethosomes. They had significantly higher percent drug release (∼96%) and permeation (∼95%) through rat skin compared with the ethosomes (93% and 90%, respectively). Binary ethosomes and ethosomes had, respectively 1.9 and 1.8-fold higher drug skin permeation and 5.3- and 5.6-fold higher drug deposition in the epidermis/dermis compared with the drug suspension. The antifungal efficacy of the drug-loaded ethosomes and binary ethosomes were similar to the drug hydroalcoholic solution. Collectively, these results confirm the potential of these nanocarriers to enhance drug efficacy given their small size, sustained drug release and enhanced skin permeability.

Cancer is a disease that is characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation. Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women. Ginger oil is a natural cancer fighter and anti-oxidant. However, the minimal absorption of ginger oil from the gastrointestinal tract accounts for its limited medicinal efficacy. The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a nanoemulsion preparation of ginger oil on its oral bioavailability and in vivo anti-cancer efficacy. Ginger oil nanoemulsion was prepared by a high-pressure homogenization technique using different surfactants (Tween 20, 40, and 80). The prepared formulations were evaluated for droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), pH, viscosity, and stability by calculating the creaming index percentage. The best formulation was evaluated for shape by TEM. The antitumor activity of the best nano-formulation was determined in comparison with the free oil using the in vivo Ehrlich solid tumor (EST) model. The prepared ginger oil nanoemulsion formulations exhibited acceptable droplet size in the range from 56.67 ± 3.10 nm to 357.17 ± 3.62 nm. A PDI of less than 0.5 indicates the homogeneity of size distribution. The oil globules possessed a negative charge ranging from −12.33 ± 1.01 to −39.33 ± 0.96 mV. The pH and viscosity were in the acceptable range. The TEM image of the best formulation appeared to be spherical with a small size. The ginger oil nanoemulsion reduced in vivo tumor volume and weight, extended animals’ life span, and ameliorated liver and kidney function in EST-bearing mice. These effects were superior to using free ginger oil. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that the ginger oil nanoemulsion improved oral absorption with a subsequent enhancement of its anti-proliferative efficacy in vivo, suggesting a nano-formulation of ginger oil for better therapeutic outcomes in breast cancer patients.

Itraconazole (ITZ) is a triazole antifungal agent characterized by broad-spectrum activity against fungal infections. The main drawback of ITZ, when applied topically, is the low skin permeability due to the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, which represents the main barrier for drug penetration. Therefore, this study aimed to prepare itraconazole as transferosomes (ITZ-TFS) to overcome the barrier function of the skin. ITZ-TFSs were prepared by thin lipid film hydration technique using different surfactants, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium deoxycholate (SDC). The prepared ITZ-TFS were evaluated for entrapment efficiency (EE) %, particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and in vitro drug release to obtain an optimized formula. The surface morphology of the optimized formula of ITZ-TFS was determined by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The optimized formulation was prepared in the form of gel using hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) gel base. The prepared ITZ-TFS gel was evaluated for homogeneity, drug content, spreadability, pH, and in vitro antifungal activity in comparison with the free ITZ gel. The prepared ITZ-TFS formulations exhibited high EE% ranging from 89.02 ± 1.65% to 98.17 ± 1.28% with particle size ranging from 132.6 ± 2.15 nm to 384.1 ± 3.46. The PDI for all ITZ-TFSs was less than 0.5 and had a negative zeta potential. The TEM image for the optimized formulation (ITZ-TFS4) showed spherical vesicles with a smooth surface. The prepared gels had good spreadability, pH, and acceptable drug content. ITZ-TFS gel showed higher antifungal activity than free ITZ gel as determined by zone of inhibition. ITZ was successfully prepared in form of TFSs with higher antifungal activity than the free drug.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common type of metabolic liver disease which is characterized by fatty changes associated with hepatocyte injury, lobular inflammation, and/or liver fibrosis. Nanoemulsions are kinetically stable colloidal systems characterized by small droplet size. Hemp seed oil is a natural oil derived from Cannabis sativa seeds. The current study was designed to formulate nanoemulsion preparations of hemp seed oil with promising enhanced biological activity against high fat (HF) diet induced NASH in rats. Four nanoemulsion formulas (NEFs) were formulated based on high-pressure homogenization technique and evaluated for droplet size, zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI), electrical conductivity, pH, and viscosity, as well as the preparation stability. The best NEF was selected to perform an in vivo rat study; selection was based on the smallest droplet size and highest physical stability. Results showed that NEF#4 showed the best physiochemical characters among the other preparations. Twenty male rats were assigned to four groups as follows: normal, NASH control, NASH + hemp seed oil and NASH + hemp seed oil NEF4. The rats were tested for body weight (BWt) change, insulin resistance (IR) and hepatic pathology. The hemp seed NEF#4 protected against NASH progression in rats and decreased the % of BWt gain compared to the original Hemp seed oil. NEF#4 of Hemp seed oil showed greater protective activity against experimental NASH and IR in rats. Hence, we can consider the nanoemulsion preparations as a useful tool for enhancing the biological action of the hemp seed oil, and further studies are warranted for application of this technique for preparing natural oils aiming at enhancing their activities.

Glimepiride is an antidiabetic drug which is one of the third generation sulfonylureas. It belongs to class II, according to the BCS (Biopharmaceutical Classification System), which is characterized by low solubility and high permeability. The aim of this work was to formulate glimepiride as solid dispersion using water-soluble carriers to enhance its aqueous solubility and thus enhance its bioavailability. Nine formulations of glimepiride solid dispersion were prepared by a solvent evaporation technique using three different carriers (mannitol, polyethylene glycol 6000, and β-cyclodextrin) with three different drug carrier ratio (1:1, 1:3, and 1:6). Formulation variables were optimized using 32 full factorial design. The prepared formulations were evaluated for production yield, drug content, micromeritic properties, thermal analysis, in-vitro release, and in-vivo hypoglycemic effect. All prepared formulations showed high production yield ranged from 98.4 ± 2.8 to 99.8 ± 2.2% and high drug content in the range of 97.2 ± 3.2 to 99.6 ± 2.1%. The micromeritic properties revealed that all prepared glimepiride formulations showed good flowability. The differential scanning calorimetry study revealed the presence of the drug in the more soluble amorphous form. In accordance with the results of in vitro release study, it was found that the solubility of glimepiride was increased by increasing the drug carrier ratio, compared with the pure form of the drug. It was found that F9 showed a high and rapid reduction in blood glucose levels in diabetic rats, which indicated the success of a solid dispersion technique in improving the solubility and hence the bioavailability of glimepiride.