Characterization and Evaluation of Microwave-Synthesized Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Enhanced Amphotericin B Efficacy Against Leishmania donovani: A Novel Therapeutic Paradigm

Nanostructured lipid carriers have gained popularity due to their exceptional physicochemical and biocompatible properties and also have been proven to deliver valuable drugs without compromising safety and efficacy. In this study, nanostructured lipid carriers brimmed with amphotericin B were prepared using a novel one-pot, single-step microwave-assisted method. Maneuvering a 2-factor 3-level central composite design. The characterization of preparation of optimized batch was done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and transmission electron microscopy. Further, evaluation was done for in vitro drug release, ex vivo skin permeation, histopathology, stability studies, and antileishmanial activity. The optimized batch of formulation was found to be monodispersed having PdI 0.209 and particle size of 123.9 nm with drug entrapment efficiency of 91.2% that remained stable on storage. Histopathological evaluation confirmed the preparation to be safe on the skin. Antileishmanial study confirmed the cytotoxicity of the formulation towards the L. donovani infected THP1 cells. In vitro drug release investigation revealed 61.716 +/- 0.02% release of amphotericin B in 8 h, following the Higuchi model of release kinetics, and drug release was governed by Fickian diffusion (n < 0.5). Here, nanostructured lipid carriers prepared by microwave assisted technique demonstrated the enhanced solubility, permeability, stability and also prospected the significant antileishmanial activity. Thus, it could be a promising alternative for treating other parasitic infections also. Graphical AbstractGraphical depiction of formulation, characterization and evaluation of AmpB-NLC