Formulation and Evaluation of Coumarin Loaded Transferosomal Gel

Coumarin is a naturally occurring phytochemical that exhibits various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial and wound-healing properties. However, its topical therapeutic effectiveness is limited due to poor aqueous solubility and inadequate skin permeation. Transferosomes are highly deformable lipid vesicles capable of penetrating the stratum corneum and delivering drugs into deeper layers of the skin, thereby enhancing topical drug delivery. The present study aimed to formulate and evaluate a coumarin loaded transfersomal gel for improved topical delivery. Coumarin loaded transferosomes were prepared using the thin-film hydration method with phospholipids and an edge activator. The prepared vesicles were evaluated for vesicle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and percentage drug content. The optimized transfersomal formulation was incorporated into a Carbopol gel base and further evaluated for appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, drug content, in vitro drug release and ex vivo skin permeation. The optimized transfersomal gel exhibited uniform appearance, suitable pH, good spreadability and sustained drug release with enhanced skin permeation compared to the plain coumarin gel. The findings suggest that the coumarin-loaded transfersomal gel is a promising topical drug delivery system capable of improving the therapeutic efficacy of coumarin by enhancing its skin penetration, prolonging drug release and increasing local drug availability. Therefore, transfersomal gel represents a potential carrier for the effective topical treatment of skin disorders.