Adapalene loaded solid lipid nanoparticles gel: An effective approach for acne treatment

• Adapalene (ADA) loaded tristearin, soya lecithin based solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs-A) developed for spatial and temporal delivery to epidermis tissues.
• SLNs shown spatial and temporal drug release behaviour.
• SLNs formulations deliver significant amounts of ADA into the epidermal layer of skin that is necessary to produce desired effect.
• The SLNs-A gel has shown adequate cohesiveness, fair extrudability and spreadability, as it is pre-requisite to sustain formulation.

Salient features such as controlled release, target ability, potential of penetration, improved physical stability, low cost compared to phospholipids, and ease of scaling-up makes solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) a viable alternative to liposomes for effective drug delivery. Adapalene (ADA) is a second generation retinoid effective in treating various dermatologic disorders such as Acne vulgaris with a few noticeable dose-mediated side effects. The present study was aimed at developing and characterizing ADA loaded SLNs for effective topical delivery. The formulated SLN system was characterized for particle size, poly dispersity index, entrapment efficiency and drug release properties. The resultant formulation (ADA loaded SLNs incorporated into carbopol hydrogel) was evaluated for in vitro drug release, skin permeation and bio-distribution, rheological behaviour, and texture profile analysis. The SLNs based ADA gel has shown its potential in targeting skin epidermal layer, and reducing systemic penetration. The developed system can avoid systemic uptake of ADA in skin layers, and can localize drug in skin epidermis as confirmed by rat skin model. Our results advocate potential of SLNs as a novel carrier for topical delivery of ADA in topical therapeutic approaches. This study open new avenues for drug delivery which better meets the need of anti-acne research.

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