{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T11:27:52Z","timestamp":1789471672689,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758153600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"statutory funding for young researchers\u2014PUMS doctoral students"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceutics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Skin mycoses affect approximately 10% of the global population, and the range of effective topical antifungal agents remains limited. Voriconazole (VRC) is a broad-spectrum triazole with proven efficacy against drug-resistant fungal infections. This study aimed to develop and optimize VRC-loaded microemulsion (ME) polymer gels (Carbopol\u00ae-based) for cutaneous delivery. Selected formulations also contained menthol (2%) as a penetration enhancer and potential synergistic antifungal agent. Methods: A comprehensive screening was performed using pseudoternary phase diagrams to identify stable oil\/surfactant\/co-surfactant\/water systems. Selected MEs were prepared with triacetin, Etocas\u2122 35, and Transcutol\u00ae, then gelled with Carbopol\u00ae. Formulations were characterized for pH, droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), and viscosity. In vitro VRC release was assessed using diffusion cells, while ex vivo permeation and skin deposition studies were conducted on full-thickness human skin. Rheological behavior (flow curves, yield stress) and texture (spreadability) were evaluated. Antifungal activity was tested against standard strain of Candida albicans and clinical isolates including a fluconazole-resistant strain. Results: The optimized ME (pH \u2248 5.2; droplet size \u2248 2.8 nm) was clear and stable with both VRC and menthol. Gelation produced non-Newtonian, shear-thinning hydrogels with low thixotropy, favorable for topical application. In ex vivo studies, performed with human skin, both VRC-loaded gels deposited the drug in the epidermis and dermis, with no detectable amounts in the receptor phase after 24 h, indicating retention within the skin. Menthol increased VRC deposition. Antifungal testing showed that VRC-containing gels produced large inhibition zones against C. albicans, including the resistant isolate. The VRC\u2013menthol gel exhibited significantly greater inhibition zones than the VRC-only gel, confirming synergistic activity. Conclusions: ME-based hydrogels effectively delivered VRC into the skin. Menthol enhanced drug deposition and demonstrated synergistic antifungal activity with voriconazole.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmaceutics17091218","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]],"date-time":"2025-09-19T08:11:01Z","timestamp":1758269461000},"page":"1218","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Formulation Studies on Microemulsion-Based Polymer Gels Loaded with Voriconazole for the Treatment of Skin Mycoses"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-9254-3728","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Micha\u0142","family":"Gackowski","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznan, Poland"},{"name":"Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Doctoral School, 70 Bukowska Street, 60-812 Poznan, Poland"},{"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Lorraine, CNRS, LRGP, F-54000 Nancy, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1491-1329","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Froelich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3D Printing Division, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6139-8276","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Oliwia","family":"Kordyl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3D Printing Division, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2192-3715","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jolanta","family":"D\u0142ugaszewska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Chair and Department of Genetics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dorota","family":"Kami\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Chair and Department of Genetics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6870-6902","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rapha\u00ebl","family":"Schneider","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Lorraine, CNRS, LRGP, F-54000 Nancy, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6939-2888","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tomasz","family":"Osma\u0142ek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jdin.2020.10.003","article-title":"The Global, Regional, and National Burden of Fungal Skin Diseases in 195 Countries and Territories: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017","volume":"2","author":"Urban","year":"2021","journal-title":"JAAD Int."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"(2025, May 11). 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