Comparative study of liposomes, transfersomes and ethosomes as carriers for enhancing topical delivery of tolnaftate: In vitro evaluation

The present aimed to formulate, evaluate and optimise the liposome loaded with Tolnaftate to improve transdermal permeation and compare the drug's permeability with ethosome and transferosome. The liposomes wereprepared using the thin-film hydration method. A 3² factorial design was utilized to assess the influence of two separate factors, namely phospholipids and cholesterol, on various parameters including the percentage entrapment efficiency, vesicle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index (PDI). Surface morphology was analysed by scanning electron microscopy. The optimised vesicular systems were integrated into a 1% Carbopol 934 gel, and their performance was assessed through in vitro drug release studies and ex vivo permeation studies conducted on goat skin using a modified Franz diffusion cell. The assessment included the determination of the cumulative drug permeation after 480 minutes, as well as the examination of flux and the coefficient of permeability. The vesicle size ranged from 193.4 to 214.0 nm, and the Tolnaftate's encapsulation efficiency ranged from 75.0 to 84.0%. The transfersomes and ethosomes provided the skin with considerably higher levels of cumulative permeation, permeability coefficient, steady-state flux and residual drug than liposomes, conventional gel, or drug suspensions. The formulation of transfersomes can act as a better drug reservoir in the skin and increase the efficacy of tolnaftate, according to the results.