DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF NANOVESICULAR NIOSOMAL GEL FOR THE TREATMENT OF PERIODONTITIS

Nowadays, smoking or tobacco-related habits (chewing tobacco) is recognized as the most frequent environmental risk factor for periodontal disorders. Atorvastatin Calcium (ATV) is a well-known lipid-lowering drug, but recent studies have discussed its pleiotropic effects, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, etc. This anti-inflammatory effect can be studied as an adjunct for Scaling and Root planning (a non-surgical process to remove dental tartar and smooth root surfaces) for periodontics problems. The goal of the study is to formulate and evaluate ATV-niosomes, introduce them in a gel-based formulation by utilizing an appropriate gelling agent, and evaluate them for various parameters. The niosomal vesicles were prepared by the Thin-film hydration method. Gel was prepared using the dispersion method, and an in-vitro drug release study was conducted using a Franz-diffusion cell. According to the results evaluated, ATV niosomal gels loaded with different concentrations of Carbopol 934 were effectively produced utilizing ATV-niosomes that were formulated by the Thin-Film Hydration process using Cholesterol and Span 60. The ATV-niosomes showed the highest entrapment efficiency, up to 84%, and the zeta potential (-18 mV) and PDI (0.106) showed stable and homogenous behavior of the vesicles formed. The performance of the optimized gel containing 1% Carbopol 934 showed in-vitro release of up to 8 hours following Zero Order release. The gel also proved to have antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Therefore, we conclude that 1% Carbopol 934 gel comprising ATV-niosomes showed a prolonged effect compared to plain ATV and can effectively work to improve the periodontal condition as an adjunct to Scaling and Root planning.