Author(s):
Balram Kaushik, Aditya Nath Pandey, Reshu Agrawal, Poonam Chandra, Sunil K. Jain
Email(s):
suniljain25in@yahoo.com
DOI:
10.52711/0974-360X.2026.00174 
Address:
Balram Kaushik1, Aditya Nath Pandey2, Reshu Agrawal1, Poonam Chandra1, Sunil K. Jain1*
1Department of Pharmacy, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh - 495009, India.
2Pushpendra College of Pharmacy, Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, India.
*Corresponding Author
Published In:
Volume - 19,
Issue - 3,
Year - 2026
ABSTRACT:
In order to effectively treat fungal infections, current study aimed to increase the solubility of Econazole nitrate (EN) by use of solid dispersion (SD) technology and further integrate SD formulations of drug into hydrogel. Solvent evaporation method was used to develop SD formulations of EN with ß-cyclodextrin and Soluplus® as carriers. The SD formulations were characterized for solubility determination, FTIR, DSC, XRD, drug content, and dissolution studies. Hydrogel formulations were evaluated for spreadability, viscosity, extrudability, drug activity, antifungal activity, in vitro permeation and skin irritation. The full conversion of EN from a crystalline to an amorphous state in solid dispersion was demonstrated by DSC and XRD studies. Compared with ß-cyclodextrin, the SD formulation prepared with Soluplus® showed better solubility enhancement. Compared with pure drug formulation, SD formulation prepared with Soluplus® presented a 16-fold increase in drug solubility in a pH 5.5 solution. After that, hydrogel was mixed with free drug and optimised SD formulation. With a diameter of 5.5±0.7cm, EN-loaded SD-bearing hydrogel demonstrated good spreadability. Skin tolerability of EN was significantly improved by SD-based gel compared to plain gel, suggesting that it may be able to enhance topical administration and patient acceptance. EN containing Soluplus® solid dispersion gel displayed good adhesiveness and antifungal activity.
Cite this article:
Balram Kaushik, Aditya Nath Pandey, Reshu Agrawal, Poonam Chandra, Sunil K. Jain. Using Solid Dispersion (SD) Technology to Enhance Solubility and Further Integrate SD Into Hydrogel for Topical Econazole Nitrate Delivery. Research Journal Pharmacy and Technology. 2026;19(3):1221-9. doi: 10.52711/0974-360X.2026.00174
Cite(Electronic):
Balram Kaushik, Aditya Nath Pandey, Reshu Agrawal, Poonam Chandra, Sunil K. Jain. Using Solid Dispersion (SD) Technology to Enhance Solubility and Further Integrate SD Into Hydrogel for Topical Econazole Nitrate Delivery. Research Journal Pharmacy and Technology. 2026;19(3):1221-9. doi: 10.52711/0974-360X.2026.00174 Available on: https://www.rjptonline.org/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2026-19-3-35
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