Development and Characterization of Nanoparticulate Hydrogel Loaded with Extract of Fernandoa Adenophylla

Background: This study aims to construct a hydrogel that contains PEG 4000 nanopar-ticles loaded with an extract from Fernandoa adenophylla (FA). Since Fernandoa Adenophylla fruit extract has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties, an effort was made to increase the extract's effectiveness by forming it into nanoparticulate hydrogel, which may be a viable substitute for traditional formulations of Fernandoa Adenophylla extract by providing the added advantages of transdermal application's superior penetration qualities and prolonged release. Objective: The objective of this formulation is to develop a formulation for transdermal delivery to get maximum penetration and prolong the release of phytoconstituents present in the extract of Fernandoa adenophylla and to use the maximum potential of FA phytoconstituents in the form of various pharmacological activities like anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and skin dis-eases, etc. Methodology: In this work, the fruit of Fernandoa Adenophylla was macerated in hot water with methanol to extract the active components. By employing the nanoprecipitation technique with PEG 4000 as the polymer, Tween 80 as the surfactant, and dimethyl sulfoxide as the organic phase solvent, the crude extracts were transformed into polymeric nanoparticles. The gel matrix, containing Carbopol 940 as the base, was combined with the polymeric nanoparticles. Result: The polymeric nanoparticles exhibited a somewhat spherical shape, with a z-average of 323.7 to 882.6 nm, PDI between 0.301 to 0.692, and zeta potential between -13.1 and -18.0 mV, with a maximum drug entrapment percentage of 90.36%. High viscosity, neutral pH, and good spreadability were demonstrated by nanoparticulate hydrogel compositions, making them appro-priate for transdermal application. A sustained drug release of 93.30% from the improved formu-lation was seen in vitro for up to 24 hours. Conclusion: Nanoparticlulate hydrogel can be employed as a carrier to deliver Fernandoa Ad-enophylla extract transdermally.