Paper Contents
Abstract
Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, tendinitis, and gout remain a global health concern, requiring effective and safer therapeutic strategies. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like flurbiprofen are widely used for pain and inflammation management due to their potent inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, thereby reducing prostaglandin synthesis. However, oral administration of flurbiprofen is often limited by gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal adverse effects resulting from systemic exposure and first-pass metabolism. To overcome these drawbacks, topical drug delivery has emerged as a promising alternative that enables site-specific delivery, minimizes systemic toxicity, and enhances patient compliance. Despite its advantages, the major challenge in topical flurbiprofen delivery is its limited skin permeability due to poor aqueous solubility and moderate lipophilicity. Recent advancements in nanocarrier-based systems such as nano emulsions, liposomes, glycerosomes, ufasomes, and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have significantly improved dermal drug penetration, retention, and sustained release. These vesicular and lipid- based systems enhance therapeutic efficacy by improving solubility, facilitating controlled release, and maintaining stability. Studies have demonstrated superior anti-inflammatory effects and enhanced permeation profiles for nanocarrier-based flurbiprofen formulations compared to conventional gels. Nonetheless, challenges including nanoparticle stability, large-scale production, and cost-effectiveness persist. Future research should focus on optimizing formulation parameters and conducting clinical evaluations to ensure safety, efficacy, and commercial feasibility of these advanced topical systems.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Mujahid Shaikh , Kunal Panchwate, Prof. Ashwini Waybhase. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
