Development and Characterization of Nanoemulsion Containing Almond Oil, Biodegradable Polymer and Propranolol as Potential Treatment in Hemangioma

Abstract

Hemangiomas are benign tumors, which cause an abnormal proliferation of endothelial cells. In recent years, propranolol (POP) has been used for the therapy of infantile hemangiomas (IH). Topical POP has been prescribed instead of systemic steroids to reduce the risk of side effects. In order to increase the effectiveness of the POP, nanoemulsions (NEs) were developed as drug delivery carriers for topical delivery. NEs are stable dispersions consisting of oil, water and surfactants. To develop NEs water‐in‐oil, POP was solubilized in two concentrations, at 0.25 wt% and 0.5 wt% in water. To prepare the external phase, the almond oil, a biocompatible vegetable oil, was chosen due its anti‐inflammatory properties. An optimal proportion of surfactant and co‐surfactant, Tween 80/Span 80, were assessed by pseudo‐ternary phase diagram. NEs were obtained by ultrasonic processor and the mean droplet size was measured by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and it was less than 300 nm. POP was included in the best formulation for stability studies, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) studies, by the analysis of proton relaxation time, cell viability studies and occlusivity test. At the end of the work, the stable NEs, containing POP, diluted above 200 fold, did not affect cell viability and it can be considered as a promising formulation for the treatment of superficial infantile hemangioma.