Formulation and Evaluation of Etravirine-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles in Herbal Hydrogel for Sustained Antiviral Delivery

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to formulate and evaluate Etravirine-loaded lipid nanoparticles incorporated into an herbal hydrogel for sustained antiviral drug delivery. Etravirine is an antiretroviral drug used in the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1) infection. However, its poor aqueous solubility and limited dissolution may affect its delivery. Therefore, lipid nanoparticles were developed to improve drug incorporation and provide controlled drug release. The study included preformulation studies, drug–excipient compatibility testing, preparation and optimization of lipid nanoparticles, and incorporation of the optimized nanoparticles into an herbal hydrogel. The prepared formulations were evaluated for particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, drug content, and in-vitro drug release. The optimized lipid nanoparticles showed a particle size of 142.6 ± 4.8 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.218, a zeta potential of −32.8 ± 1.5 mV, an entrapment efficiency of 92.4 ± 1.2%, and drug loading of 8.75 ± 0.24%. Among the nine hydrogel formulations, DF6 showed the best overall results, with a pH of 6.18 ± 0.03, spreadability of 25.3 ± 0.5 g·cm/sec, drug content of 98.8 ± 0.4%, and cumulative drug release of 96.4 ± 0.9% after 24 hours. The drug release profile followed the Higuchi model, indicating diffusion-controlled release. Three-month stability studies showed negligible changes in the evaluated formulation characteristics. The findings indicate that the Etravirine-loaded lipid nanoparticle herbal hydrogel is a promising formulation for sustained drug delivery. Further studies are required to establish its safety, skin penetration, and therapeutic effectiveness.