Formulation of shea butter Nanoparticle containing griseofulvin: a combination of antifungal and anti-inflammatory treatments

Nanomedicine has been a booming industry with the development of nanovectors to encapsulate water-soluble or amphiphilic molecules for drug delivery. As the new therapeutic agents synthesized are increasingly lipophilic, the development of new nanoparticulate vectors allowing their transport and targeting is now a major challenge. These particles are lipid nanoparticles, a few hundred nanometers in diameter, stabilized by a layer of surfactants composed of castor oil and stealth agents. Solid lipid nanoparticles based on shea butter, stabilized by cremophor® ELP, encapsulating griseofulvin, were formulated by the temperature phase inversion method. The shea butter nanoparticles thus obtained were the subject of characterization relating to: determination of the morphology, size, polydispersity index, pH and zeta potential. The results confirm the stability of our preparations. The anti-inflammatory activity of shea butter being known, the tests were carried out on mice. The inflammation was induced by a solution of croton oil acetone. There is a very big improvement in anti-inflammatory activity. This is due to better penetration of the preparation through the different layers of the skin. Griseofulvin release studies have been carried out on our various preparations. Systems designed as reservoirs of active ingredients and intended for a priori controlled release obey kinetics of the order of one-half (½) corresponding to a proportionality between the quantity released and the square root of time. Shea butter in nanoparticulate forms has thus enabled us to considerably prolong the release of griseofulvin. Keywords: Nanoparticles; Shea Butter; Inflammation; Griseofulvin.