DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF ETHOSOMAL DELIVERY SYSTEM OF CLOSTEBOL ACETATE AND NEOMYCIN SULPHATE FOR DERMATOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The present study was aimed at the development and evaluation of an ethosomal delivery system containing
Clostebol acetate and Neomycin sulphate for enhanced dermatological applications. Ethosomes were
prepared using varying concentrations of phospholipid and ethanol by the ethanol injection method and
subsequently incorporated into Carbopol-based gel formulations. The prepared ethosomes were evaluated for
vesicle size, entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, and stability, while the ethosomal gels were assessed for
physicochemical characteristics, drug content, and in vitro drug release behavior. Among the prepared
formulations, F5 exhibited the highest entrapment efficiency of 84.80% for Clostebol acetate and 80.50% for
Neomycin sulphate, with a vesicle size of 215.80 nm and a zeta potential of −39.85 mV, indicating good
stability. The optimized ethosomal suspension was incorporated into gel formulation EF2, which showed
excellent homogeneity, suitable spreadability, good extrudability, skin-compatible pH (6.72), and high drug
content for both drugs. In vitro drug release studies demonstrated sustained release, with cumulative drug
release of 90.20% for Clostebol acetate and 94.75% for Neomycin sulphate over 10 hours. Drug release
kinetics revealed that the release followed the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, indicating a diffusion-controlled
mechanism. Stability studies confirmed that the formulation remained stable under refrigerated conditions.
The findings suggest that the developed ethosomal gel is a promising topical delivery system capable of
enhancing skin penetration, improving drug retention, and providing sustained therapeutic action for
dermatological applications.