Topical Delivery of Meropenem via Spanlastic Carbopol Gel: In-Vitro Studies and In-Vivo Application in Pressure Ulcers

The study developed a meropenem-loaded spanlastic carbopol gel for topical application to treat pressure ulcers, showing improved drug stability, skin permeability, and antibacterial efficacy. The optimized formulation had a particle size of 462 nm, 69.5% drug encapsulation efficiency, and released 20% of the drug within 6 hours. It demonstrated a 2.4-fold reduction in the minimum inhibitory concentration against Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared to free meropenem. In vivo studies on 30 male Wistar albino mice showed superior therapeutic activity, with 89% wound closure and 49% wound area reduction at 10 days. The gel formulation proved more effective than a marketed product, highlighting its potential as a treatment for bacterial skin infections and pressure ulcers.