FORMULATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND EX-VIVO EVALUATION OF PRONIOSOMAL GEL OF PROGESTERONE FOR TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

The aim of the present work is to improve the bioavailability of progesterone by formulating in to Proniosomal gel for transdermal delivery. A Proniosomal gel was prepared by using various non- ionic surfactants (tweens and spans), lecithin, cholesterol & ethanol. Proniosomes were prepared by co-acervation phase separation and were evaluated. The optimized formulation (F1) showed mean globule size of 182.6 ± 5.24 nm, PDI 0.218 ± 0.043, Zeta potential -22 ± 1.12 (mV), drug content 98.8% entrapment efficiency 97.79%. The In- vitro drug release of F1 formulation showed significantly higher drug release was 76.61 ± 2.66% compared to drug suspension     (8.56 ± 3.92%) and follows zero order      kinetics and Higuchi’s model by Fickian diffusion. The ex-vivo permeation studies were carried out for formulation (F1) and drug suspension on rats’ abdominal skin. The theoretical flux was calculated that is (41.02µg/hr/cm²). Steady state flux value of optimized proniosomal gel formulation (67.08 ± 0.53µg/cm²/h) was significantly high compared to drug suspension (5.78 ± 0.55µg/cm²/h). The steady state flux of optimized proniosomal gel formulation F1 was 11.6 times to the flux of drug suspension.

Keywords: Progesterone, Proniosomal gel, Transdermal delivery, Permeation, Entrapment efficiency