Nanoemulgel Technology in Topical Antifungal Therapy: Current Perspectives and Applications

Fungal skin infections are among the most prevalent dermatological disorders worldwide, affecting millions of individuals and significantly reducing quality of life. Conventional topical antifungal formulations such as creams, ointments, and lotions often exhibit limitations including poor drug solubility, inadequate skin permeation, limited retention at the site of infection, frequent dosing requirements, and reduced patient compliance. These challenges have encouraged the development of advanced topical drug delivery systems capable of improving therapeutic efficacy and enhancing localized drug action. Nanoemulgel technology has emerged as a promising approach in topical antifungal therapy by combining the advantages of nanoemulsions and gel-based systems into a single multifunctional formulation. Nanoemulgels consist of nanosized oil droplets dispersed within a gel matrix, which enhances drug solubilization, stability, spreadability, and skin permeation. The nanoscale droplet size provides a large surface area that facilitates improved penetration through the stratum corneum and prolonged retention of antifungal agents at the target site. Various antifungal drugs including ketoconazole, clotrimazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, terbinafine, and luliconazole have demonstrated enhanced therapeutic performance when incorporated into nanoemulgel systems. This review highlights the composition, preparation methods, characterization parameters, mechanisms of enhanced drug delivery, and therapeutic applications of nanoemulgels in antifungal therapy. In addition, recent advances, comparative advantages over conventional topical systems, safety considerations, formulation challenges, and future perspectives are discussed. Overall, nanoemulgels represent an innovative and effective platform for topical antifungal delivery with significant potential to improve treatment outcomes, patient adherence, and the management of superficial fungal infections in modern dermatological practice.