Abstract

DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES LOADED HYDROGEL FOR FUNGAL TREATMENT

*Neelam Patel, Dr. Arun Patel, Shailendra Patel

ABSTRACT

Fungal infections are among the most common microbial diseases affecting the skin and mucosal tissues, often requiring prolonged treatment and frequent drug administration. Conventional antifungal formulations suffer from limitations such as poor drug penetration, low bioavailability, rapid drug release, and reduced patient compliance. The present study focuses on the development and characterization of polymeric nanoparticles loaded hydrogel as an advanced drug delivery system for effective fungal treatment. Polymeric nanoparticles were prepared using a suitable biodegradable polymer and incorporated into a hydrogel matrix to achieve sustained and targeted drug release. The results suggest that polymeric nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel systems can serve as a promising and effective approach for topical fungal therapy, offering improved therapeutic efficacy, reduced dosing frequency, andbetter patient compliance.

Keywords: Polymeric nanoparticles; hydrogel; antifungal drug delivery; fungal infection; nanotechnology; controlled drug release; topical drug delivery; biodegradable polymers; drug entrapment efficiency.