Topical delivery of clobetasol propionate loaded nanosponge hydrogel for effective treatment of psoriasis: Formulation, physicochemical characterization, antipsoriatic potential and biochemical estimation.

Clobetasol propionate (CP), a superpotent topical corticosteroid, holds great promise for psoriasis treatment. However, common side effects like skin atrophy, steroidal acne, hypopigmentation and allergic contact dermatitis associated with it, hamper its utility for topical application. Taking this into consideration, the current work was aimed to fabricate CP loaded cyclodextrin nanosponge (CDNS) based hydrogel, to alleviate the aforementioned side effects, while controlling drug release. Nanosponges were crafted employing β-cyclodextrin (polymer) and diphenyl carbonate (cross linker) and evaluated appropriately. The selected formulation augmented 45 folds water solubility, with respect to pure CP. The formulation possessed entrapment efficiency (56.33 ± 0.94%), particle size (194.27 ± 49.24 nm) with polydispersitive index (0.498 ± 0.095), surface charge (-21.83 ± 0.95 mV) and drug release (86.25 ± 0.28%). Selected CP-CDNS were found crystalline and uniform in size. Further, in vitro cell viability analysis has been performed using THP1 cells to evaluate cytocompatibility of CP nanosponges. The chosen CP nanosponges were then embedded into Carbopol hydrogel, and characterized for rheological behaviour, spreadability, and texture profile. The developed nanoformulations were also assessed in vivo using mouse tail model. Histological and biochemical assessments have been conducted to explore their antipsoriatic activity via oxidative stress biomarkers. The degree of orthokeratosis was observed remarkably (p < 0.001) amplified by CP-CDNS14 hydrogel as compared to untreated group (control) and CP hydrogel. In addition, drug activity and change in epidermal thickness were found significant. Our findings altogether advocated the profound potential of prepared CP nanogel in the topical treatment of psoriasis, with improved patient compliance.