Development And Evaluation Of Neem Oil Nanoemulsions: Enhanced Antifungal Activity Against Trichophyton Rubrum With Improved Stability
Keywords:
Neem Oil, Nanoemulsions, Antifungal Activity, Trichophyton rubrum.Abstract
Background and Objectives: Neem oil, Azadirachta indica is an effective antifungal agent; however, its hydrophobic nature is one of the limiting factors for conventional formulation. Nanoemulsion systems offer a promising approach to enhance its solubility, stability, and antifungal activity. This study was carried out to formulate neem oil nanoemulsions with optimal droplet size, investigate their stability, and assess their antifungal efficacy against Trichophyton rubrum.
Methods: Nanoemulsions were prepared by high-energy emulsification at different oil-to-surfactant ratios (1:2, 1:3, 1:4) and two sonication times (10 and 15 minutes). The particle sizes were determined by DLS. Antifungal activity and minimum inhibitory concentration-MIC-by the broth microdilution method of the nanoemulsions were compared with neem oil macroemulsions and nystatin as a control.
Results: The minimum droplet size was 11.95 nm with an oil-to-surfactant ratio of 1:4, which was subjected to a sonication time of 15 minutes. Further, the optimized nanoemulsion showed higher antifungal efficiency (MIC: 1562.5 μg/mL) than the corresponding macroemulsion (MIC value 3125 μg/mL). The stability study exhibited only slight increase in droplet diameter within 60 days of evaluation, and thus it remained stable (<20 nm).
Conclusion: The neem oil nanoemulsion significantly enhanced antifungal efficacy and stability, which could be due to the enhancement in droplet’s surface area and solubility. This study presents the potential of nanoemulsion technology in the development of efficient antifungal formulations and, therefore, is worthy of further clinical exploration.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Maryam Iman, Shahin Mojra
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their published articles online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website, social networks like ResearchGate or Academia), as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Except where otherwise noted, the content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
According to the 