Development and Characterization of β-Cyclodextrin Assisted Neomycin Microsponge Gel for Sustained Topical Delivery
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2026v5i274-87Keywords:
Neomycin, Microsponge drug delivery, β-cyclodextrin, Topical gel formulation, Controlled drug release.Abstract
This study focuses on the formulation, development, and optimization of β-cyclodextrin-based neomycin-loaded microsponge gel for effective topical drug delivery. Preformulation studies confirmed neomycin’s suitable physicochemical properties, including good solubility in polar solvents, acceptable pH, and stability. Microsponge formulations exhibited porous, spherical morphology with nanoscale particle size and high drug entrapment efficiency, with formulation MSF4 showing optimal performance. The prepared gel demonstrated desirable characteristics such as smooth texture, appropriate viscosity, skin-compatible pH, excellent spreadability, and absence of irritation. In vitro drug release followed zero-order kinetics, indicating sustained and controlled release. Antimicrobial studies revealed significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Stability studies confirmed minimal changes under various storage conditions. Overall, the optimized β-cyclodextrin-based microsponge gel presents a stable, effective, and promising system for localized treatment of bacterial skin infections with enhanced therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance.
References
[1] Singla, V.,Saini, S., Joshi, B., & Rana, A. C. (2012). Emulgel: A new platform for topical drug delivery. International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences, 3(1), 485-498.
[2] Charde, M. S., Ghanawat, P. B., Welankiwar, A. S., Kumar, J., & Chakole, R. D. (2013). Microsponge a novel new drug delivery system: a review. International Journal of Advances in Pharmaceutics, 2(6), 63-70.
[3] Karimkhani, C., Dellavalle, R. P., Coffeng, L. E., Flohr, C., Hay, R. J., Langan, S. M., ... & Naghavi, M. (2017). Global skin disease morbidity and mortality: an update from the global burden of disease study 2013. JAMA dermatology, 153(5), 406-412.
[4] Pradhan, S. K. (2011). Microsponges as the versatile tool for drug delivery system. Int J Res Pharm Chem, 1(2), 243-58.
[5] Srinivasan, S., Suresh, R., &Cadambi, R. M. (Eds.). (2025). Advances in Materials Science and Technology. CRC Press.
[6] Del Rosso, J. Q., Thiboutot, D., Gallo, R., Webster, G., Tanghetti, E., Eichenfield, L., ... & Zaenglein, A. (2013). Consensus recommendations from the American Acne & Rosacea Society on the management of rosacea, part 2: a status report on topical agents. Cutis, 92(6), 277-284.
[7] Kumar, A., & Rao, R. (2022). Formulation and modification of physicochemical parameters of p-Coumaric acid by cyclodextrin nanosponges. Journal of inclusion phenomena and macrocyclic chemistry, 102(3), 313-326.
[8] Zuberi, S. A., Sheraz, M. A., Ali, S. A., Shah, M. R., Mujahid, S., Ahmed, S., & Anwar, Z. (2023). Nanosponges-based drug delivery system for the cosmeceutical applications of stabilized ascorbic acid. Current Drug Delivery, 20(10), 1504-1524.
[9] Singh, S., Sharma, N., Zahoor, I., Behl, T., Antil, A., Gupta, S., ... &Bungau, S. G. (2022). Decrypting the potential of nanotechnology-based approaches as cutting-edge for management of hyperpigmentation disorder. Molecules, 28(1), 220.
[10] Gupta, B., Dalal, P., & Rao, R. (2021). Cyclodextrin decorated nanosponges of sesamol: Antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and photostability assessment. Food Bioscience, 42, 101098.
[11] Pontes-Quero, G. M., Espinosa-Cano, E., Fernández-Villa, D., Huerta-Madroñal, M., Aguilar, M. R., & Vázquez-Lasa, B. (2021). Characterization Techniques for Emulsion-Based Antioxidant Carriers with Biomedical Applications. In Emulsion‐based Encapsulation of Antioxidants: Design and Performance (pp. 423-462). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
[12] Kumar, S., Prasad, M., & Rao, R. (2021). Topical delivery of clobetasol propionate loaded nanosponge hydrogel for effective treatment of psoriasis: Formulation, physicochemical characterization, antipsoriatic potential and biochemical estimation. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 119, 111605.
[13] Srisayam, M., Weerapreeyakul, N., Barusrux, S., Tanthanuch, W., &Thumanu, K. (2014). Application of FTIR microspectroscopy for characterization of biomolecular changes in human melanoma cells treated by sesamol and kojic acid. Journal of Dermatological Science, 73(3), 241-250.
[14] Penjuri, S. C. B., Ravouru, N., Dahrseni, S., Bns, S., &Poreddy, S. R. (2016). Formulation and evaluation of lansoprazole loaded Nanosponges. Turk J Pharm Sci, 13(3), 304-310.
[15] Abbas, N., Irfan, M., Hussain, A., Arshad, M. S., Hussain, S. Z., Latif, S., & Bukhari, N. I. (2018). Development and evaluation of scaffold-based nanosponge formulation for controlled drug delivery of naproxen and ibuprofen. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 17(8), 1465-1474.
[16] Seema, G., Kumar, S. A., & Manoj, B. (2015). Development and evaluation of curcuhrs loaded nanosponges for colon drug delivery. World J Pharm Res, 4(5), 1650-1666.
[17] Pandya, K. D., Shah, N. V., Gohil, D. Y., Seth, A. K., Aundhia, C. J., & Patel, S. S. (2019). Development of Risedronate Sodium-loaded Nanosponges by Experimental Design: Optimization and in vitro Characterization. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 81(2).
[18] Krishna, A. V., Gowda, V. D., & Karki, R. (2021). Formulation and evaluation of nanosponges loaded bifonazole for fungal infection. Anti-Infective Agents, 19(1), 64-75.
[19] Anwer, M. K., Alshdefat, R., Akhtar, J., &Aleemuddin, M. (2025). Punica granatum Loaded Glycerosomes for Antibacterial Effect in Skin Infections: Preparation, Optimization, In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization. BioNanoScience, 15(2), 1-15.
[20] Hans, M., Dua, J. S., Prasad, D. N., & Sharma, D. (2019). Formulation and evaluation of fluconazole microsponge using Eudragit L 100 by quasi emulsion solvent diffusion method. Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, 9, 366-373.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Neeraj Kumar Shah, Brajesh Kumar Arjariya, Praveen Bhawsar

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Re-users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as the original work is properly credited.





