FORMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF TOPICAL NANOEMULSION BASED GEL OF MOMETASONE FUROATE USING 32 FULL FACTORIAL DESIGN
Mometasone furoate (MF) is a glucocorticoid prodrug that faces the problem of poor aqueous solubility. Nanoemulsion-based topical gel of MF was formulated to enhance its solubility and potential of treating skin conditions. The selection of oil, surfactant and co-surfactant was done based on their solubility with the drug. The nanoemulsion was prepared using rose oil as the oil phase. Tween 80 and Transcutol P were used as surfactant and co-surfactant and they were blended in different ratios (1:0, 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 w/w). The pseudo ternary diagrams were developed using these excipients and formulations exhibiting considerable nanoemulsion region were selected. The formulations were optimized by using Design Expert software for the globule size and cumulative percent release. The nanoemulsion formulations were characterized for in vitro release and stability study. The optimized nanoemulsions consisting of 2 % w/w oil, 30 % w/w Smix (Surfactant: Co-surfactant) and 67.9 % w/w water were consolidated into Carbopol 940 gelling agent to prepare three nanoemulsion-based gel formulations or nanoemulgels (NEG1-NEG3). Nanoemulgels were evaluated for their stability and ex vivo permeation of MF. The outcomes suggested that skin permeation of MF from all the nanoemulgel formulations was significantly enhanced as compared to the marketed mometasone furoate topical formulation.