ArticlePloS one2026
Topical sterosomes-based nanocarrier of miconazole for the management of cutaneous candidiasis.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundMiconazole (MN) is widely used to treat superficial fungal infections; however, limited skin penetration and short residence time restrict its therapeutic efficacy. This study aimed to develop and statistically optimize MN-loaded sterosomes (STEs) to enhance topical antifungal activity.
methodsA central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was applied using Design-Expert® software to study the effects of cholesterol amount (mg) and sonication time (min) on vesicle size (VS), zeta potential (ZP), and entrapment efficiency (EE%). Vesicle morphology was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and drug entrapment was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The optimized formulation was incorporated into a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) gel and evaluated for in vitro release and in-vivo antifungal efficacy in a Wistar albino rats cutaneous candidiasis model (n = 6) following topical administration of optimized MN-loaded sterosome gel 1% w/w for ten days.
resultsThe optimized formulation showed a desirability of 0.63 and consisted of 140.86 mg cholesterol and 8.99 min sonication time. It demonstrated vesicle size: 498.54 ± 6.12 nm, zeta potential: 40.82 ± 1.24 mV, entrapment efficiency: 77.41 ± 1.43%. MN release from STEs was significantly higher than the drug suspension. TEM images showed spherical non-aggregated vesicles. XRD patterns indicated successful MN entrapment. In-vivo, MN-STE gel produced significantly greater antifungal activity than commercial Daktarin® cream at a lower dose, which was consistent with histopathological improvement.
conclusionMN-loaded sterosomes enhanced drug entrapment, release, and antifungal efficacy while enabling dose reduction, representing a promising carrier for topical miconazole delivery.
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