Volume 13

April-June 2021​

Microemulsion based hydrogel formulation for topical drug delivery - A concise review

Jameel Ahmed S Mulla, Biradev S Karande

Abstract: 
A hydrogel is a network of water-insoluble polymer chains that can also be found ‎as a colloidal gel with water as the dispersion medium. Hydrogels are natural or ‎manufactured polymers that are superabsorbent (they can hold over 99 percent ‎water). Topical medicines are utilized for localized effects at the application site ‎due to medication penetration into the deeper layers of the skin or mucous ‎membranes. Microemulsions are thermodynamically stable, fluid, transparent ‎‎(or translucent) colloidal dispersions made up of an oil phase, aqueous phase, ‎surfactant, and co-surfactant in appropriate ratios that form a single optically ‎isotropic solution with droplet diameters typically ranging from 10 to 100 ‎nanometers. Transparency, low viscosity, and, most importantly, thermodynamic ‎stability and capacity to form spontaneously separate micro-emulsions from ‎conventional emulsions. As a topical medication delivery system, micro-emulsions ‎provide a number of advantages over standard creams, gels, and solutions. The ‎Hydrogel technology based on microemulsion will be able to sustain therapeutic ‎concentration at the site of action while also increasing bioavailability. This ‎review focuses on the method of preparation, characterization, evaluation, and ‎stability investigations of microemulsion-based hydrogel.‎

Keywords: Microemulasion, Microemulsion-based Hydrogel, Ternary Phase Diagram, Preparation, Characterization.