Advanced Nanostructured Topical Therapeutics for Psoriasis: Strategic Synthesis, Multimodal Characterization, and Preliminary Pharmacodynamic Profiling

TL;DR

This study presents a novel topical gel combining metal oxide nanoparticles and plant extracts, showing promising results in accelerating wound healing and reducing inflammation in a psoriasis animal model.

Contribution

It introduces a new nanostructured topical formulation with multimodal characterization and preliminary pharmacodynamic profiling for psoriasis treatment.

Findings

Faster wound healing in treated animals

Significant reduction in inflammation

Good stability and uniformity of nanoparticles

Abstract

Psoriasis is a long-term inflammatory skin disease that remains difficult to treat. In this study, we developed a new topical treatment by combining metal oxide nanoparticles: cerium oxide (CeO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and silver (Ag), with natural plant extracts in a gel made from fish collagen and agar. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showing good stability and a uniform particle size distribution (ZnO averaged 66 nm). To enhance therapeutic potential, the gel was enriched with plant-derived antioxidants from bitter melon, ginger, and neem. This formulation was tested on an animal model of psoriasis. The treated group exhibited faster wound healing and reduced inflammation compared to both placebo and untreated groups, with statistically significant results (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001) observed from Day 3, becoming more pronounced by Day 14. These results indicate that the combination of nanoparticles with plant-based components in a topical gel may provide a promising new approach to psoriasis treatment. Further studies are recommended to evaluate long-term safety and therapeutic effectiveness.