Design and Optimization of Antipsoriatic Drug-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Effective Psoriasis Management

Drug delivery methods based on lipids may be able to capture hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules, increase the bioavailability of medications that are not highly soluble in water, and shield them from premature deterioration. The novel second-generation lipid nanoparticle that functions as a bioactive carrier system is called a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC). Both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs can be transported by nanostructured lipids, which are biocompatible drug carriers. NLCs have a large loading capacity, superior physical stability, good permeability, and are far less expensive than carriers based on polymers or surfactants. Since the majority of antipsoriatic drugs on the market today are BCS class II and IV medications and have solubility and permeability issues, bioavailability is the main factor. This might be fixed by creating NLCs loaded with roflumilast and pimecrolimus. The typical particle diameter for NLCs is between 10 and 1000 nm. Using the melt homogenization method in conjunction with ultrasonication, Roflumilast and Pimecrolimus loaded NLCs were successfully created. Approximately 2-3% of people worldwide suffer from psoriasis, with incidence rates differing greatly between areas and demographics. Some regions of Asia have rates as low as 0.4%, while other regions of Northern Europe claim rates as high as 11%. It is believed that psoriasis affects about 60 million people globally. The range of psoriasis prevalence in India is 0.44 percent to 2.8%. The formulation of the NLCs involved melt homogenization and ultrasonication, yielding nanoparticles with a mean size of 200–400 nm and a negative zeta potential of -26 mV to -30 mV. This confirmed that the nanoscale dimensions were appropriate for topical delivery and had good stability against aggregation. Excellent drug incorporation, which is essential for maintaining drug release and therapeutic efficacy, was demonstrated by the formulation's entrapment efficiency, which ranged from 71.73% to 94.79%. Using a Box-Behnken design, the formulation of Roflumilast & Pimecrolimus NLCs was optimized by taking into account the dependent variables of drug loading, entrapment efficiency, and particle size, while the independent variables were lipid concentration and surfactant concentration. The study's significance lies in its capacity to improve permeability, bioavailability, avoid first-pass metabolism, boost patient compliance, and reduce dosage and size.