1Department of Pharmaceutics, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India
Corresponding Author: H. Gayathri - gayathrh@srmist.edu.in
The present study aimed to enhance the transdermal delivery of terbinafine hydrochloride by developing a transfersomal emulgel for effective management of dermatophytosis. Terbinafine, though a potent antifungal agent, exhibits poor aqueous solubility and limited permeability across the stratum corneum, restricting its therapeutic efficiency in topical formulations [1,2]. Transfersomes, ultra-deformable phospholipid vesicles containing edge activators, were employed to overcome these limitations. Terbinafine-loaded transfersomes were optimized using a Box–Behnken design by evaluating phosphatidylcholine, sodium deoxycholate, and solvent ratio effects on particle size, entrapment efficiency, and polydispersity index [3,4,5].
The optimized formulation exhibited vesicle size <200 nm, PDI <0.3, and entrapment efficiency >80%. The suspension was incorporated into a Carbopol-based emulgel showing suitable pH, viscosity, spreadability, and drug content [5,6]. In vitro release demonstrated sustained release for 12h following Higuchi kinetics. Ex vivo permeation across rat skin showed significantly enhanced flux (35.7 ± 2.1 µg/cm²/h) and permeability coefficient (1.21 × 10⁻³ cm/h) compared to conventional cream [7]. Antifungal studies against Trichophyton rubrum showed a larger inhibition zone (27.9 ± 1.1 mm). Skin irritation and stability studies confirmed safety and formulation robustness [8,9].
The transfersomal emulgel demonstrated enhanced permeation, sustained release, superior antifungal efficacy, and stability, indicating its potential as an advanced topical drug delivery system.
Keywords: Transfersomes; Emulgel; Terbinafine; Transdermal delivery; Antifungal therapy; Drug permeation.
How to cite this article: Harini N, Gayathri H. Enhancing Transdermal Delivery Of Terbinafine: Development And Evaluation Of A Transfersomal Emulgel. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(7s): 887-893; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.7s.94
Source of support: None
Conflict of interest: None