Volume-2 ,Issue-6, June- 2026

The present study was aimed at the formulation and evaluation of Terbinafine Hydrochloride-loaded Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES)-based eutectogel for enhanced topical antifungal delivery. Terbinafine Hydrochloride, a poorly water-soluble antifungal drug, was incorporated into a DES system to improve its solubility, drug release, and topical performance. The drug was characterized by preformulation studies including organoleptic properties, solubility, melting point, partition coefficient, UV spectroscopy, and FTIR compatibility studies. Different DES systems were prepared using suitable hydrogen bond donors and acceptors, and the optimized DES showing maximum drug solubility was incorporated into Carbopol gel base to prepare eutectogel formulations (F1–F10). The prepared formulations were evaluated for physical appearance, homogeneity, pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, drug content, in vitro drug release, and stability studies. Among all formulations, batch F7 showed optimum physicochemical properties, excellent drug content (99.5 ± 0.31%), and maximum cumulative drug release (99.6 ± 2.2% at 12 h). Stability studies confirmed that the optimized formulation remained stable under ICH storage conditions. The results indicated that the DES-based eutectogel significantly enhanced the solubility and topical delivery of Terbinafine Hydrochloride and may serve as a promising approach for effective topical antifungal therapy.

Keyword: Terbinafine Hydrochloride, Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES), eutectogel, topical drug delivery, antifungal therapy, Carbopol gel, solubility enhancement, skin permeation.