Topical delivery of dexamethasone acetate from hydrogel containing nanostructured liquid carriers and the drug.

The potential of hydrogel containing nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) to enhance the skin permeation rate and skin deposition of dexamethasone acetate (DEA) was investigated. The particle size of obtained NLCs was around 224.4 nm. NLCs had core-shell structure and DEA existed in amorphous state in NLCs. The permeation rate of DEA through excised mouse skins from hydrogel containing DEA-NLC (DEA-NLC-hydrogel) was 7.3 times higher than DEA-ointment. The skin deposition of DEA from DEA-NLC-hydrogel increased 3.8 folds compared to that from solution of DEA in hydrogel (DEA-hydrogel).