FORMULATION OF ANDROGRAPHOLIDE TRANSFERSOMES GEL FOR TRANSDERMAL DELIVERY: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Objective: A transfersome is a drug delivery system that offers increased penetration for the transdermal delivery of drugs. The aim of this study wasto assess the application of transfersomes for transdermal delivery of andrographolide.Methods: The development of andrographolide transfersomes for transdermal delivery was conducted in two steps. The first step involved varyingratios of Span 80 and phospholipids to investigate the effect on transfersome deformability using four formulations (P1–P4). Afterward, a second stepinvolved varying ratios of andrographolide in transfersomes to investigate the influence on entrapment efficiency using four formulations (F1–F4).The selected transfersomes were then formulated into a gel dosage form. An in vitro penetration study was conducted by comparing the penetrationfluxes of the transfersome and non-transfersome andrographolide gels using Franz diffusion cells.Results: The results showed that formulation F4 had an entrapment efficiency of 97.02±0.01% and particle size (DV-average) of 524.02 nm. An in vitropenetration study of the andrographolide transfersome gels showed two phases of penetration, with a marked increase in both fluxes. In the firstphase, penetration flux was 23.26±2.34 and 1.28±0.82 μg/cm2·h for the transfersome and non-transfersome andrographolide gels, respectively.Conclusion: The results showed that the transfersome gel is a promising dosage system for transdermal delivery of andrographolide.