Nanoethosomes for Topical Fungal Therapeutics

Abstract

Topical treatment of fungal infections results in efficacious treatment as the drug is intended to target the site of infection; systemic side effects are minimized and patient compliance improves significantly. The conventional topical antifungal formulations offer restricted drug delivery across the skin resulting in inefficient therapeutics and non-targeted distribution of drugs leading to systemic side effects. Topical drug delivery needs to accomplish two aspects: overcome the stratum corneum barrier and deposit the drug in the targeted skin layers to limit percutaneous absorption for fungicidal/fungistatic activity. To achieve this, various nanocarriers have been developed and nanoethosomes hold promise. The ethanolic vesicular nanosized system (classical ethosomes) has evolved as variants in the form of binary ethosomes, composite ethosomes, transethosomes, and polymeric ethosomes. The chapter provides an insight into the occurrence and therapy approaches of fungal infection, usefulness of topical therapy, nanoethosomes and its variants, and their applications in the delivery of antifungal agents.