Topical transferosomal gel of berberine HCl and diacerein reduced TNF-α and IL-17A levels and reduced epidermal thickness in imiquimod-induced psoriatic BALB/c mice

Abstract

Psoriasis is a multifactorial autoimmune disease characterized by excessive proliferation of keratinocytes. This excessive proliferation led to the formation of plaque with itching and silvery patches. The transferosome-loaded hydrogel was developed using a 1 % hyaluronic acid gel base and subjected to in vitro (pH, rheology, spreadability, and in vitro release studies) and in vivo evaluation. The imiquimod-induced psoriatic mice model was developed for the determination of anti-psoriatic activity of the transferosome-loaded hydrogel formulation. The transferosomal hydrogel formulation was found to be homogenous with a pH of 5.4 ± 0.4, which is acceptable for topical delivery. The transferosomal hydrogel exhibited pseudoplastic behavior that is acceptable for dermatological therapy with 9.8 g cm sec⁻¹ spreadability. It was found that diacerein released 88.44 ± 2.11 % and berberine HCl released 81.56 ± 0.11 % over 24 h, showing a sustained release profile. In the psoriatic BALB/c mice model, berberine HCl and diacerein-loaded transferosomes containing hydrogel formulation (BDTG transferosomal gel) reduced erythema and scaling. The skin histology depicted an alleviation of epidermal thickness and reduced acanthosis. ELISA assay confirmed that the hydrogel formulation reduced inflammation by minimizing TNF-α and IL-17A levels. Thus, co-delivery of diacerein and berberine HCl in lipid-based nanocarriers has effective therapeutic outcomes in psoriatic animals due to the improved skin penetration and prolonged local residence time. However, the future scope necessitates clinical studies of the developed formulation to prove its anti-psoriatic activity.