IMPACT OF CARBOPOL-LOADED CURCUMIN NANOEMULSION ON PSORIASIS: INVESTIGATING TREATMENT EFFICACY AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN AN ANIMAL MODEL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2025v18i5.54295Keywords:
Psoriasis area and severity index score, Psoriasis, Histopathological study, Nanoemulsion, Nanoemulgel, Curcumin, Complete Freund’s adjuvant and formaldehydeAbstract
Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the medicinal and therapeutic advantages of a locally used herbal preparation for psoriasis management. It specifically assessed the efficacy of curcumin-based nanoemulsions and nanoemulgels in a rat model of psoriasis produced by complete Freund’s adjuvant and formaldehyde. The formulations were tested against the conventional corticosteroid treatment, triamcinolone acetonide.
Methods: Thirty albino Wistar rats were placed into five groups: Control, placebo, standard, F1 (CURNE 5%), and F2 (CURNE 10%). The psoriasis area and severity index were used to determine the severity of erythema, scaling, and skin thickness. To compare the treatment effects, histopathological investigation was performed, followed by statistical analysis using one-way analysis of variance.
Results: The study found substantial disparities in treatment efficacy. The 10% F2 formulation (Carbopol-loaded curcumin nanoemulsion) significantly improved skin health (p<0.0001). When used as an ointment, both the 5% F1 and 10% F2 formulations had positive outcomes, but they did not outperform the usual corticosteroid therapy. Histopathological study revealed that the F2 10% formulation resulted in normal epidermal thickness, decreased mitotic activity, and a less nucleated stratum corneum.
Conclusion: Curcumin-based nanoemulsions, particularly the 10% F2 formulation, show promise in dermatological treatment for psoriasis control. The findings underline the need of continuing to enhance drug delivery technologies, particularly nanoemulsions, to improve psoriasis therapy choices.
Downloads
References
Rajitha P, Biswas R, Sabitha M, Jayakumar R. Methotrexate in the treatment of psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis: Mechanistic insights, current issues and novel delivery approaches. Curr Pharm Des. 2017;23(24):3550-66. doi: 10.2174/1381612823666170601105439, PMID: 28571554
Fairweather D, Frisancho-Kiss S, Rose NR. Sex differences in autoimmune disease from a pathological perspective. Am J Pathol. 2008;173(3):600-9. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2008.071008, PMID: 18688037
Anaya JM, Gómez L, Castiblanco J. Is there a common genetic basis for autoimmune diseases? Clin Dev Immunol. 2006;13(2-4):185-95. doi: 10.1080/17402520600876762, PMID: 17162361
Gudjonsson JE, Johnston A, Sigmundsdottir H, Valdimarsson H. Immunopathogenic mechanisms in psoriasis. Clin Exp Immunol. 2004;135(1):1-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2004.02310.x, PMID: 14678257
Ahmad MZ, Mohammed AA, Algahtani MS, Mishra A, Ahmad J. Nanoscale topical pharmacotherapy in management of psoriasis: Contemporary research and scope. J Funct Biomater. 2022;14(1):19. doi: 10.3390/jfb14010019, PMID: 36662067
Sala M, Elaissari A, Fessi H. Advances in psoriasis physiopathology and treatments: Up to date of mechanistic insights and perspectives of novel therapies based on innovative skin drug delivery systems (ISDDS). J Control Release. 2016;239:182-202. doi: 10.1016/j. jconrel.2016.07.003, PMID: 27381248
Pradhan M, Singh D, Singh MR. Novel colloidal carriers for psoriasis: Current issues, mechanistic insight and novel delivery approaches. J Control Release. 2013;170(3):380-95. doi: 10.1016/j. jconrel.2013.05.020, PMID: 23770117
Mabuchi T, Chang TW, Quinter S, Hwang ST. Chemokine receptors in the pathogenesis and therapy of psoriasis. J Dermatol Sci. 2012;65(1):4- 11. doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2011.11.007, PMID: 22177422
Ferrara F, Verduci C, Laconi E, Mangione A, Dondi C, Del Vecchio M, et al. Current therapeutic overview and future perspectives regarding the treatment of psoriasis. Int Immunopharmacol. 2024 Dec 25;143(1):113388. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.113388, PMID: 39405929
Boehncke WH, Schön MP. Psoriasis. Lancet. 2015;386(9997):983-94. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61909-7, PMID: 26025581
Aijaz SF, Khan SJ, Azim F, Shakeel CS, Hassan U. Deep learning application for effective classification of different types of psoriasis. J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:7541583. doi: 10.1155/2022/7541583, PMID: 35075392
Menter A, Gottlieb A, Feldman SR, Van Voorhees AS, Leonardi CL, Gordon KB, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: Section 1. Overview of psoriasis and guidelines of care for the treatment of psoriasis with biologics. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008;58(5):826-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.02.039, PMID: 18423260
Basavaraj KH, Ashok NM, Rashmi R, Praveen TK. The role of drugs in the induction and/or exacerbation of psoriasis. Int J Dermatol. 2010;49(12):1351-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2010.04570.x
Petit RG, Cano A, Ortiz A, Espina M, Prat J, Muñoz M, et al. Psoriasis: From pathogenesis to pharmacological and nano-technological-based therapeutics. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(9):4983. doi: 10.3390/ ijms22094983, PMID: 34067151
Aghmiuni AI, Khiavi AA. Medicinal plants to calm and treat psoriasis disease. In: Aromatic and Medicinal Plants - Back to Nature. London: IntechOpen; 2017. doi: 10.5772/67062
Singh KK, Tripathy S. Natural treatment alternative for psoriasis: A review on herbal resources. J Appl Pharm Sci. 2014;4(11):114-21. doi: 10.7324/JAPS.2014.41120
Ogawa E, Sato Y, Minagawa A, Okuyama R. Pathogenesis of psoriasis and development of treatment. J Dermatol. 2018;45(3):264-72. doi: 10.1111/1346-8138.14139, PMID: 29226422
Huang W, Na L, Fidel PL, Schwarzenberger P. Requirement of interleukin‐17A for systemic anti-Candida albicans host defense in mice. J Infect Dis. 2004;190(3):624-31. doi: 10.1086/422329, PMID: 15243941
Ye P, Garvey PB, Zhang P, Nelson S, Bagby G, Summer WR, et al. Interleukin-17 and lung host defense against Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2001;25(3):335-40. doi: 10.1165/ ajrcmb.25.3.4424, PMID: 11588011
Haider AS, Lowes MA, Suárez-Fariñas M, Zaba LC, Cardinale I, Khatcherian A, et al. Identification of cellular pathways of “Type 1,” Th17 T cells, and TNF- and inducible nitric oxide synthase-producing dendritic cells in autoimmune inflammation through pharmacogenomic study of cyclosporine A in psoriasis. J Immunol. 2008;180(3):1913-20. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.3.1913, PMID: 18209089
Van der Fits L, Mourits S, Voerman JS, Kant M, Boon L, Laman JD, et al. Imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice is mediated via the IL-23/IL-17 axis. J Immunol. 2009;182(9):5836-45. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0802999, PMID: 19380832
Lowes MA, Kikuchi T, Fuentes-Duculan J, Cardinale I, Zaba LC, Haider AS, et al. Psoriasis vulgaris lesions contain discrete populations of Th1 and Th17 T cells. J Invest Dermatol. 2008;128(5):1207-11. doi: 10.1038/sj.jid.5701213, PMID: 18200064
Zaba LC, Cardinale I, Gilleaudeau P, Sullivan-Whalen M, Suárez- Fariñas MS, Fuentes-Duculan J, et al. Amelioration of epidermal hyperplasia by TNF inhibition is associated with reduced Th17 responses. J Exp Med. 2007;204(13):3183-94. doi: 10.1084/ jem.20071094, PMID: 18039949
Lowes MA, Suárez-Fariñas M, Krueger JG. Immunology of psoriasis. Annu Rev Immunol. 2014;32:227-55. doi: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-032713-120225, PMID: 24655295
Pirhonen J, Matikainen S, Julkunen I. Regulation of virus-induced IL-12 and IL-23 expression in human macrophages. J Immunol. 2002;169(10):5673-8. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.169.10.5673, PMID: 12421946
Oppmann B, Lesley R, Blom B, Timans JC, Xu Y, Hunte B, et al. Novel p19 protein engages IL-12p40 to form a cytokine, IL-23, with biological activities similar as well as distinct from IL-12. Immunity. 2000;13(5):715-25. doi: 10.1016/S1074-7613(00)00070-4, PMID: 11114383
Cua DJ, Sherlock J, Chen Y, Murphy CA, Joyce B, Seymour B, et al. Interleukin-23 rather than interleukin-12 is the critical cytokine for autoimmune inflammation of the brain. Nature. 2003;421(6924):744-8. doi: 10.1038/nature01355, PMID: 12610626
Murphy CA, Langrish CL, Chen Y, Blumenschein W, McClanahan T, Kastelein RA, et al. Divergent pro-and anti-inflammatory roles for IL-23 and IL-12 in joint autoimmune inflammation. J Exp Med. 2003;198(12):1951-7. doi: 10.1084/jem.20030896, PMID: 14662908
Lee E, Trepicchio WL, Oestreicher JL, Pittman D, Wang F, Chamian F, et al. Increased expression of interleukin 23 p19 and p40 in lesional skin of patients with psoriasis vulgaris. J Exp Med. 2004;199(1):125- 30. doi: 10.1084/jem.20030451, PMID: 14707118
Kopp T, Lenz P, Bello-Fernandez C, Kastelein RA, Kupper TS, Stingl G. IL-23 production by cosecretion of endogenous p19 and transgenic p40 in keratin 14/p40 transgenic mice: Evidence for enhanced cutaneous immunity. J Immunol. 2003;170(11):5438-44. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.170.11.5438, PMID: 12759419
Chan JR, Blumenschein W, Murphy E, Diveu C, Wiekowski M, Abbondanzo S, et al. IL-23 stimulates epidermal hyperplasia via TNF and IL-20R2-dependent mechanisms with implications for psoriasis pathogenesis. J Exp Med. 2006;203(12):2577-87. doi: 10.1084/ jem.20060244, PMID: 17074928
Lowes MA, Chamian F, Abello MV, Fuentes-Duculan J, Lin SL, Nussbaum R, et al. Increase in TNF-α and inducible nitric oxide synthase-expressing dendritic cells in psoriasis and reduction with efalizumab (anti-CD11a). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005;102(52):19057-62. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0509736102, PMID: 16380428
Saelee C, Thongrakard V, Tencomnao T. Effects of Thai medicinal herb extracts with anti-psoriatic activity on the expression on NF-κB signaling biomarkers in HaCaT keratinocytes. Molecules. 2011;16(5):3908-32. doi: 10.3390/molecules16053908, PMID: 21555979
Sakthi Priyadarsini S, Vani PB, Kumar PR. A comparative review on conventional and traditional medicine in the treatment of psoriasis. Res J Pharm Technol. 2020;13(12):5642-6. doi: 10.5958/0974-360X.2020.00983.X
Ronpirin C, Charueksereesakul T, Thongrakard V, Tencomnao T. Inhibitory effect of ethanolic extract of Annona squamosa L. leaves on the expression of EGFR. Planta Med. 2012;78(11):PI136. doi: 10.1055/ s-0032-1320823
Bader A, Martini F, Schinella GR, Rios JL, Prieto JM. Modulation of COX-1, 5-, 12-, and 15-LOX by popular herbal remedies used in Southern Italy against psoriasis and other skin diseases. Phytother Res. 2015;29(1):108-13. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5234, PMID: 25278440
Alalaiwe A, Hung CF, Leu YL, Tahara K, Chen HH, Hu KY, et al. The active compounds derived from Psoralea corylifolia for photochemotherapy against psoriasis-like lesions: The relationship between structure and percutaneous absorption. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2018;124:114-26. doi: 10.1016/j.ejps.2018.08.031, PMID: 30153523
Safayhi H, Sabieraj J, Sailer ER, Ammon HP. Chamazulene: An antioxidant-type inhibitor of leukotriene B4 formation. Planta Med. 1994;60(5):410-3. doi: 10.1055/s-2006-959520, PMID: 7997466
Müller K. Antipsoriatic anthrones: Aspects of oxygen radical formation, challenges and prospects. Gen Pharmacol. 1996;27(8):1325-35. doi: 10.1016/S0306-3623(96)00075-4, PMID: 9304402
Shinde AJ, Tarlekar SD, Jarag RJ, Tamboli FA. Antipsoriatic activity of hydrogel containing nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) entrapped with triamcinolone acetonide. Int J Appl Pharm. 2023;15(1):308-17. doi: 10.22159/ijap.2023v15i1.46198
Zhang S, Wang J, Liu L, Sun X, Zhou Y, Chen S, et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin in psoriasis: Preclinical and clinical evidence and possible mechanisms. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:903160. doi: 10.3389/ fphar.2022.903160, PMID: 36120325
Srivastava AK, Nagar HK, Chandel HS, Ranawat MS. Antipsoriatic activity of ethanolic extract of Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz flowers in a novel in vivo screening model. Indian J Pharmacol. 2016;48(5):531- 6. doi: 10.4103/0253-7613.190740, PMID: 27721539
Jaiswal PK, Das S, Das MK. Boosting the skin delivery of curcumin through stearic acid-ethyl cellulose blend hybrid nanocarriers-based approach for mitigating psoriasis. Int J Appl Pharm. 2021;13(3):150- 64. doi: 10.22159/ijap.2021v13i3.40668
Kaur A, Katiyar SS, Kushwah V, Jain S. Nanoemulsion loaded gel for topical co-delivery of clobitasol propionate and calcipotriol in psoriasis. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol. 2017;38:1-8.
Patel V, Patel K, Patel H. Enhanced skin penetration of curcumin by a nanoemulsion-embedded oligopeptide hydrogel for psoriasis topical therapy. Pharmaceutics. 2022;14(11):2332.
Carter P, Narasimhan B, Wang Q. Biocompatible nanoparticles and vesicular systems in transdermal drug delivery for various skin diseases. Int J Pharm. 2019;555:49-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.11.032, PMID: 30448309
Fu L, Li M, Wang P, Chen L, Huang J, Zhang H. Tanshinone IIA, a component of the self-made Xiao-Yin decoction, ameliorates psoriasis by inhibiting IL-17/IL-23 and PTGS2/NF-κB/AP-1 pathways. Skin Res Technol. 2024;30(2):e13577. doi: 10.1111/srt.13577, PMID: 38284293
Naldi L. Scoring and monitoring the severity of psoriasis. What is the preferred method? What is the ideal method? Is PASI passé? facts and controversies. Clin Dermatol. 2010;28(1):67-72. doi: 10.1016/j. clindermatol.2009.03.001, PMID: 20082954
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2025 Vikram Kumar, Deepa Lashkari, Tejpal Yadav, Sunil Kumar, Pushpender Kumar Sharma, Shiv Kumar Garg
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The publication is licensed under CC By and is open access. Copyright is with author and allowed to retain publishing rights without restrictions.
