The College of Pharmacy discussed the MSc thesis entitled “Preparation and In-Vitro Evaluation of Topical Hydrogel Containing Clobetasol Microsponge” by Ahmed Saad Hammed and his supervisor, Assistant Professor Dr. Lubna Abdalkarim Sabri, in Department of Pharmaceutics. The study aimed to prepare a topical Carpbol hydrogel containing clobetasol-loaded microsponges for increasing the effectiveness and safety of clobetasol in treatment a number of skin diseases, including psoriasis, eczema, and atopic dermatitis. The effect of formulation variables on the properties of microsponges was studied through preparing of twenty-three formulas of microsponges using the emulsion solvent diffusion method. The selected optimum formula was then incorporated into the Carpbol 940 hydrogel to control drug release and increase its deposition in the skin. The selected formula (F2), which contains a 1:1 weight ratio of clobetasol:ethylcellulose, showed a good production yield (69%), entrapment efficiency (64.7%), and cumulative clobetasol released of 83.73% at 12 hours. The scanning Electron Microscope showed that the selected microsponge formula was spherical and highly porous in nature. The chosen hydrogel formula (F2Ha), which contains (1% w/w carbopol 940) as the optimum formula, showed the highest spreadablility and released approximately 43% of clobetasol at 8 hours. The ex-vivo study showed the highest accumulation of clobetasol in the stratum corneum and epidermis/dermis for the optimum formula (F2Ha), meanwhile the flux, permeability coefficient were the lowest, compared to the plain hydrogel and the marketed cream. Based on the study findings, it was concluded that ethylcellulose’s suitability as a microsponge polymer matrix for loading clobetasol. The carbopol hydrogel containing micosponge is a proper drug delivery system for topical application with minimized systemic absorption.
