Investigation on the efficacy of luliconazole-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers for the treatment of skin and nail fungal infection: In-vitro, in-vivo, and ex-vivo characterization

This study aimed to develop, characterize, and assess the antifungal activity of LZ-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (LZ-NLCs) against resistant fungus strains. Hot-melt emulsification was used to create LZ-NLCs, and then probe sonication was used to achieve the size reduction. The optimized formulation was characterized for size, zeta potential, %EE and drug loading, in-vitro release, cytotoxicity, anti-fungal efficacy (Kirby–Bauer method), and ex-vivo studies. The formulated NLCs had desired size and zeta potential of 242 ± 1.38 nm and −14.32 ± 1.76 mV, respectively. The PDI of the optimized formulation was found to be 0.231 ± 0.04. The %EE and drug loading were high 80.32 ± 0.41% and 13.24 ± 0.54% w/w, respectively. The in-vitro drug release and drug penetration through the nail bed were higher from developed LZ-NLCs as compared to marketed products in comparative efficacy tests. Tests for cytotoxicity revealed no detrimental effect at the concentrations examined. Pharmacodynamic evaluations showcased the superior efficacy of developed formulation compared to existing market products. To conclude, LZ-NLCs formulation may be a viable topical treatment option for superficial fungal infections.