FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF MICROEMULSION BASED TOPICAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR IBUPROFEN

Dr. Bipin Gandhi*, Apoorva Mulimani, Alfiya Shaikh, Rutuja Kalpe, Rutika Wakchaure, Om Auti, Samadhan Dongare, Ajay Jadhav

Ibuprofen is a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) belonging to the propionic acid derivative category and is classified under BCS Class II due to its low solubility and high permeability. Although effective in relieving pain and inflammation, oral administration of ibuprofen may cause several adverse effects such as gastrointestinal irritation, liver toxicity and renal complications. To reduce these limitations, a topical microemulsion-based drug delivery system was developed to provide localized drug action while minimizing systemic side effects. The present work focuses on the formulation and evaluation of an ibuprofen-loaded topical microemulsion using Isopropyl Myristate (IPM) as the oil phase, Span 80 as the surfactant, ethanol as the co-surfactant in a Smix ratio of 6:4, methyl paraben as preservative and distilled water as the aqueous phase. The formulation was prepared by the spontaneous emulsification technique and assessed for various physicochemical characteristics including pH, viscosity, density, spreadability, drug content, centrifugation stability, storage stability and in vitro drug permeation using a Franz diffusion cell. The optimized microemulsion exhibited a pH of 6.0 ± 0.1, which is suitable for skin application, along with a viscosity of 99.9 mPa•s and spreadability of 108.75 g•cm/sec. The formulation showed good physical stability without phase separation after centrifugation at 3500 rpm for 15 minutes and remained stable during 30 days of storage without significant changes in its properties. Drug content analysis revealed 102.8% drug incorporation. In vitro permeation studies carried out using phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.4) demonstrated sustained drug release for up to 12 hours. The findings indicate that the formulated ibuprofen topical microemulsion is stable, transparent, non-irritant and patient-friendly, with improved skin permeation and potential advantages over conventional topical dosage forms.