INFORM March 2025

AOCS JOURNALS

inform March 2025, Vol. 36 (3) • 19

TESTING THE FORMULATIONS To evaluate their potential as a natural psoriasis treatment, the researchers prepared and tested separate microemulsions with quercetin and ferulic acid before combining them into a formulation. They characterized each microemulsion formu lation by analyzing pharmaceutical properties, such as per cent transmittance, refractive index, globule size, and so on. The results indicate that there was no phase change of the microemulsions due to drug incorporation. In addition, they found uniform distribution of fine globules that were stable and unlikely to coalesce. These characteristics were tailored to ensure not only maximum drug loading but also stability and ease of application. These optimized batches of bioactive containing micro emulsions were then embedded in a hydrogel base and the test of pharmaceutical properties rerun. The results indicated that the team developed a transparent, neutral pH formulation that would be non-irritating for sensitive skin. A significant concern in psoriasis is the risk of secondary bacterial infections, particularly from Staphylococcus aureus . The micro-emulgel formulations also demonstrated potent antibacterial activity, with the QCT-FA combination showing synergistic effects. This dual-action capability—anti-inflamma tory and antimicrobial—positions the formulation as a compre hensive treatment option.

CONTROLLED DRUG RELEASE Ex-vivo diffusion studies highlighted the formulation’s ability to deliver bio-actives at a controlled rate, maintaining therapeutic levels over extended periods. The team performed Franz diffu sion method studies on the optimized microemulsion formu lation batches and free drugs loaded in a hydrogel base. Then plotted the results as the percent cumulative drug released verses time to obtain zero order release of the bioactives. The diffusion study suggested that compared to free drug in hydrogel base, the drug loaded in micro-emulgel showed controlled release of the drug from formulation. The feru lic acid escaped the free form gel too fast with 100 percent released in just four to five hours. While the quercetin, bearing negligible water solubility, showed insufficient release from the hydrogel matrix. The team conducted release studies of drug loaded micro-emulgel formulations, along with further kinetic model ing. The best fitted kinetic models suggested that the release of drugs from the micro-emulgel formulations was indepen dent of the concentration. They also performed a Korsmeyer Peppas kinetic model and determined the drug transport mechanism through the polymer matrix, suggesting the drug was released by anomalous, non-Fickian transport. This means the drug was released from the micro-emulgel by diffusion, as well as erosion. These are favorable results, because a sus