Formulation of Natural Oil Nano-Emulsions for the Topical Delivery of Clofazimine, Artemisone and Decoquinate

Pharmaceutical Research volume 35, Article number: 186 (2018) Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to formulate nano-emulsions comprising natural oils and the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) clofazimine (CLF), artemisone (ATM) and decoquinate (DQ) in order to determine effectiveness of the nano-emulsions for topical delivery of the APIs. The APIs alone do not possess suitable physicochemical properties for topical drug delivery.

Methods

Nano-emulsions were formulated with olive and safflower oils encapsulating the APIs. Skin diffusion and tape stripping studies were performed. By using the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, in vitro toxicity studies were carried out on immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cell line to determine cytotoxicities due to the APIs and the nano-emulsions incorporating the APIs.

Results

The nano-emulsions were effective in delivering the APIs within the stratum corneum-epidermis and the epidermis-dermis, were non-cytotoxic towards HaCaT cell lines (p < 0.05) and inhibited Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro.

Conclusion

Natural oil nano-emulsions successfully deliver CLF, ATM and DQ and in principle could be used as supplementary topical treatment of cutaneous tuberculosis (CTB).

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Abbreviations

7H9/OADC :

Middlebrook 7HP Broth Base and Middlebrook AODC growth supplement

ANOVA :

Analysis of variance

API :

Active pharmaceutical ingredient

ATM :

Artemisone

attB :

Phage attachment site

CFU :

Colony-forming units

CLF :

Clofazimine

CTB :

Cutaneous tuberculosis

DMEM :

Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium

DMSO :

Dimethyl sulfoxide

DQ :

Decoquinate

ED :

Epidermis-dermis

EDTA :

Trypsin-Versene®

EE% :

Entrapment efficiency

FBS :

Fetal bovine serum

GAST/Fe :

Glycerol-alanine-salts containing iron

GFP :

Green fluorescent protein

HaCaT :

Immortalized human keratinocyte cells

HPLC :

High performance liquid chromatography

Hyg 50 :

Hygromycin B resistance gene

INH :

Isoniazid

LDH :

Lactate dehydrogenase

LOD :

Limit of detection

Log D :

Octanol-water distribution coefficient

LOQ :

Limit of quantitation

M.tb :

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

MDR-TB :

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

MIC 90 :

90% Minimum inhibitory concentration

NEAA :

Non-essential amino acids

O :

Olive oil

O1 :

Olive oil nano-emulsion containing clofazimine

O2 :

Olive oil nano-emulsion containing artemisone

O3 :

Olive oil nano-emulsion containing decoquinate

O4 :

Olive oil nano-emulsion containing clofazimine, artemisone and decoquinate

O5 :

Olive oil nano-emulsion placebo

OD 600 :

Optical density reading taken at 600 nm

PBS :

Phosphate buffer solution

Pen/Strep :

Penicillin/Streptomycin

PVDF :

Polyvinylidene fluoride

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

S :

Safflower oil

S1 :

Safflower oil nano-emulsion containing clofazimine

S2 :

Safflower oil nano-emulsion containing artemisone

S3 :

Safflower oil nano-emulsion containing decoquinate

S4 :

Safflower oil nano-emulsion containing clofazimine, artemisone and decoquinate

S5 :

Safflower oil nano-emulsion placebo

SCE :

Stratum corneum-epidermis

TB :

Tuberculosis

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Acknowledgments and Disclosures

This research project was supported by the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) Flagship Project Scheme with funds from the National Treasury under its Economic Competitiveness and Support Package, The authors thank the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, South Africa and the National Research Foundation of South Africa for their financial contribution to this project [grant number CPRR13091742482]. Marelize Pretorius of the Statistical Consultation Services is thanked for the statistical analysis of the data and Ms. A. Brümmer for the cytotoxicity studies at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa. Any opinion, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and therefore the NRF does not accept any liability in regard thereto. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacen™), North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa

    Cornel Burger, Marique Aucamp, Jan du Preez, Richard K. Haynes, Jeanetta du Plessis & Minja Gerber

  2. DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Bio­medical Tuberculosis Research MRC Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg, South Africa

    Andile Ngwane

Authors
  1. Cornel Burger
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  2. Marique Aucamp
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  7. Minja Gerber
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Correspondence to Minja Gerber.

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Burger, C., Aucamp, M., du Preez, J. et al. Formulation of Natural Oil Nano-Emulsions for the Topical Delivery of Clofazimine, Artemisone and Decoquinate. Pharm Res 35, 186 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-018-2471-9

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Key Words

  • artemisone
  • clofazimine
  • cutaneous tuberculosis
  • decoquinate
  • nano-emulsions