The aim of the current investigation was to prepare and investigate the potential of solid lipid nanoparticles based gel (SLN-gel) for the dermal delivery of meloxicam (MLX). The meloxicam loaded SLN (MLX-SLN) gel was developed and characterized by means of photon correlation spectroscopy, rheometry, and differential scanning calorimetry to determine the physicochemical properties. The behavior of SLN gel on rat skin was evaluated in vitro using Franz diffusion cells to determine the skin permeation and penetration characteristics, in vivo on mice to determine the skin tolerance by histopathological examinations. The anti-inflammatory potential of SLN gel was assessed by carrageenan induced rat paw edema test. Biophysical studies including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were undertaken to study the interaction between the SLN gel and skin. MLX-SLN gel with nanometric particle size exhibited the controlled release abilities and simultaneously the potential to transport the drug to various skin layers. SLN gel displayed viscoelastic properties with predominantly elastic behavior and exhibited plastic flow. Biophysical studies elucidated the interaction between the SLN gel and stratum corneum (SC) lipids, and proposed the lipid bilayer fluidization as the possible mechanism for the increased penetration of meloxicam into skin. The nano-gel system showed marked anti-inflammatory activity and excellent skin tolerability. It can be concluded that SLN gel may be a promising delivery system for MLX in the treatment of inflammatory disorders.
Keywords: Carrageenan induced paw edema model; Controlled release; Meloxicam; Skin penetration; Solid lipid nanoparticles; Sustained release.
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