The objective of the current research was to develop the posaconazole (PCZ) loaded NS into the carbopol 934 polymeric gel for prolonged drug release and improved topical delivery; seven different nanosponge formulations of PCZ were formulated using the emulsion solvent diffusion method using various amounts of polymer (ethylcellulose, EC). The aqueous and dispersed phases were prepared using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and dichloromethane. The prepared nanosponges (NS) were studied for particle size, structural appearance, and in vitro drug release. Furthermore, the selected formula was formulated as hydrogel and was evaluated for physical characteristics, drug content, and in-vitro drug release. Morphological studies revealed irregular shapes, rough and porous surfaces of nanosponges. The particle sizes were in the range of 201.6 ± 29.9 to 4904.7 ± 540.4 nm. In-vitro release studies revealed the sustained release pattern of the drug-loaded nanosponges. The lyophilized PCZ-NS formula had a 12-fold increase in saturation solubility over PCZ pure powder. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of the selected formula showed no significant shifts in the positions of wavenumbers compared to that of pure drug. This indicates there is no interaction between drug and excipients used. PCZ NS loaded hydrogel significantly improved the dissolution rate, which was significantly higher (p is less than 0.05) than that of pure PCZ hydrogel.
