Formulation and Characterisation of Fluconazole Loaded MCM-41 Powder for Topical Drug Delivery

Purpose: The use of common carriers like talc for topical drug delivery leads to diminished efficacy as a result of poor aqueous solubility and low dissolution rate. The objective of this study was to improve the efficiency of fluconazole topical dosage form using MCM-41 as a carrier material. The aim was to load fluconazole in carriers like MCM-41 as well as ß-Cyclodextrin and to compare the prepared powder formulation with the marketed formulations. Methods: Fluconazole complex was formulated with the use of MCM-41 and ß-CD as carriers in different proportions by melt, solvent evaporation and kneading method. The complex was developed into a powder formulation. These formulations were subjected to in vitro anti-fungal activity tests on candida albicans. Results: The inclusion compound was characterised by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and FTIR. The optimised method of preparation determined by in vitro dissolution was the melt method. The optimised formulation was then subjected to anti-fungal activity test. Formulation B containing MCM-41 as the bulk excipient had better performance than the marketed formulation; it showed 92.95 ± 0.33% CDR compared to 74.96 ± 0.47% CDR at the end of 1 hour and increased moisture adsorption. Conclusion: Thus, a fluconazole topical formulation with improved drug dissolution and moisture adsorption was designed. From in vitro tests, it was seen that the prepared formulation had better performance compared to the commercial formulation against skin mycotic infections and could be used for its treatment.