Formulation and Evaluation of a Nanoemulgel for Enhancement of Topical Delivery and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Flufenamic Acid

Abstract Purpose: The study was undertaken to formulate and evaluate a nanoemulgel of Flufenamic acid to enhance its topical delivery. Flufenamic acid, a poorly water-soluble non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), suffers from limited skin penetration and therapeutic efficacy in conventional formulations. The aim was to improve its solubility, stability, and anti-inflammatory activity using a nanoemulgel system. Methods: A nanoemulsion was developed using clove oil as the oil phase, Tween 80 as surfactant, and PEG 200 as co-surfactant by spontaneous emulsification and sonication. The optimized nanoemulsion was then incorporated into a Carbopol 940 gel base to obtain the nanoemulgel. The formulation was evaluated for physicochemical properties such as droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, pH, viscosity, drug content, spreadability, and extrudability. In vitro drug release was studied using Franz diffusion cell, and anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by protein denaturation method. Results: The optimized nanoemulgel exhibited a droplet size of 118.4 nm, zeta potential of −22.2 mV, and entrapment efficiency of 97.72%. Drug release studies showed a sustained release profile with 78.22% cumulative release over 12 hours, compared to 97.71% for conventional gel. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated 90.90 %,80.30% and 71.21 % inhibition at 1000 μg/mL, of pure drug, nanoemulgel, and marketed gel Conclusion: The formulated nanoemulgel significantly enhanced topical delivery of Flufenamic acid by improving solubility, stability, and sustained drug release. It provides an effective approach for enhancing topical delivery of poorly water-soluble drug.