Development and optimization of Clotrimazole‒Rosehip oil nanoethosomal-gel for oral thrush and gingivitis

Abstract

Abstract Conventional treatments for common disorders of the oral mucous membranes have great challenges, and this has motivated the development of local therapeutics with an advanced delivery platform. The present study aimed to develop a hydrogel containing clotrimazole‒rosehip oil nanoethosomes (CZ-RO-NE) and to evaluate its antibacterial and antifungal efficacy and ulcer index. Optimization of CZ-RO-NE was performed by the Box‒Behnken statistical design using L-α-phosphatidylcholine, CZ, and RO as independent variables. The optimized formulations were characterized for their rheological properties, in vitro release characteristics, and ex vivo permeability. An optimized formulation was fabricated using the thin-layer evaporation technique where the rheological property indicated non-Newtonian flow. The in vitro release profile of the formulations showed a significantly higher release (80 ± 6.723%) from the CZ-RO-NE‒embedded hydrogel compared with the marketed formulation and drug suspension (p