Development and Assessment of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Loaded with Calotropis gigantea Extract for the Enhancement of Therapeutic Effect

The aim of the present study was to formulate and evaluate nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) loaded with Calotropis gigantea (giant milkweed) extract prepared by a modified micro-emulsification technique followed by ultrasonication. Nanocarriers have several advantages, such as enhanced solubility and bioavailability of hydrophobic molecules, reduced dose by controlled and sustained release of therapeutic agents, and attenuated drug toxicity. NLC was developed using stearic acid as a solid lipid, oleic acid as a liquid lipid, Tween 80 as a surfactant, and Phospholipon 80H as a stabilizer. The formulated NLC was characterized for particle size, polydispersibility index (PDI), zeta potential, morphology, drug content, entrapment efficiency, and in-vitro drug release. The optimized NLC formulation exhibited a particle size of 210.46 nm with PDI of 0.256 and zeta potential of −20.3 mV. Scanning electron microscopy showed smooth spherical morphology. Optimized formulation demonstrated drug content and drug loading capacity of 90.52% and 98.29%, respectively. In-vitro drug release exhibited a sustained release profile, with 75.64% cumulative drug release over 28 h following Higuchi release kinetics. Stability studies showed insignificant changes in evaluated parameters over 90 days demonstrating good stability of optimized NLC. The study demonstrates the successful development of stable Calotropis gigantea loaded NLC with suitable physicochemical properties for topical application.