PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF GLYCEROSOMAL CREAM FORMULATION CONTAINING MINOCYCLINE AND NIACINAMIDE FOR ENHANCING ITS STABILITY AS WELL AS BIOAVAILABILITY

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop and evaluate a glycerosomal cream formulation containing Minocycline
and Niacinamide to enhance their stability and bioavailability for topical dermatological applications.
Glycerosomes were prepared using the thin-film hydration method by varying phospholipid concentrations
while maintaining constant amounts of cholesterol, glycerol, and active ingredients. The prepared
formulations were characterized for entrapment efficiency and zeta potential. Among the formulations, F5
exhibited the highest entrapment efficiency (94.44%) and zeta potential (58.1 mV), indicating superior drug
loading and vesicular stability. The optimized glycerosomal formulation was incorporated into a cream base
and evaluated for physical appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, in vitro drug release, and stability. The
cream showed a smooth texture, homogeneous appearance, absence of phase separation, and a skin-
compatible pH of 6.2. The viscosity and spreadability were found to be 3025 cP and 15.45 g·cm/sec,
respectively, indicating suitable rheological properties for topical application. In vitro drug release studies
demonstrated sustained release behavior with 92.33% cumulative drug release over 14 hours. Release kinetic
analysis revealed that the formulation followed zero-order kinetics (R² = 0.950), indicating controlled and
prolonged drug release. Stability studies conducted under long-term and accelerated storage conditions for 90
days showed no significant changes in pH or viscosity, confirming the stability of the formulation. The
findings suggest that the developed glycerosomal cream is a promising topical drug delivery system capable
of enhancing the stability, bioavailability, and therapeutic efficacy of Minocycline and Niacinamide for
dermatological applications.