The objective of the present investigation was to develop and evaluate microemulsion based gel for the vaginal delivery of Miconazole Nitrate. The solubility of Miconazole Nitrate in oils and surfactants was evaluated to identify components of the microemulsion. The ternary phase diagram was plotted to identify the area of microemulsion existence. Various gelling agents were evaluated for their potential to gel the Miconazole Nitrate microemulsion without affecting its structure. The bioadhesive potential and anti-fungal activity of the Miconazole Nitrate microemulsion based gel (Miconazole Nitrate-MBG) was determined in comparison to the marketed D.K.Gel (Miconazole Nitrate gel) by in vitro methods. The vaginal irritation potential of the Miconazole Nitrate-MBG was evaluated in rabbits. The Miconazole Nitrate microemulsion exhibited globule size of 24 nm and polydispersity index of 0.98. Carbopol ETD 2020 could successfully gel the Miconazole Nitrate microemulsion without disturbing the structure. The Miconazole Nitrate-MBG showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) in vitro bioadhesion and anti-fungal activity as compared to that of D.K.Gel. The Miconazole Nitrate-MBG did not show any signs of vaginal irritation in the rabbits. The studies indicated that the Miconazole Nitrate-MBG shows faster onset of action than D.K.Gel (Miconazole Nitrate).
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