Development and Evaluation of Fluocinolone AcetonideLoaded Transferosomal Gel for Enhanced Topical Management of Psoriasis

Abstract

Psoriasis is a persistent inflammatory skin disease characterized by abnormal keratinocyte proliferation, epidermal thickening, and immune system dysregulation. Although topical corticosteroids remain the cornerstone of treatment, their clinical effectiveness is frequently limited by inadequate skin penetration and poor drug retention at the target site. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate a transferosomal gel containing Fluocinolone Acetonide (FA) for improved topical delivery in psoriasis therapy[4]. Transferosomes were prepared using the thin-film hydration technique with phospholipids, cholesterol, and edge activators at different concentrations. The prepared vesicles were assessed for particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, drug entrapment efficiency, and morphological characteristics. The optimized transferosomal dispersion was subsequently incorporated into a Carbopol-based gel and subjected to physicochemical evaluation, including pH, viscosity, spreadability, drug content, and in vitro release studies[37]. Among all formulations, FAT6 demonstrated superior performance with a vesicle size of 134.1 ± 2.4 nm, PDI of 0.284 ± 0.04, zeta potential of −33.7 mV, and entrapment efficiency of 89.7 ± 1.1%. The transferosomal gel exhibited satisfactory rheological behavior, uniform drug distribution, and prolonged drug release reaching 93.01% over 12 hours. Release kinetics analysis indicated first-order drug release with a high correlation coefficient (R² = 0.9837). The findings suggest that transferosome-mediated delivery significantly enhances the topical performance of Fluocinolone Acetonide and may represent a promising strategy for the effective management of psoriasis while minimizing systemic exposure and treatment-related adverse effects.