Information on Nail drug delivery system along with various nail disorders.

1. A Seminar On
Transungual Drug Delivery
System
Presented by
Miss Priya S. Deshmukh
(M pharm I)
Guided by
Mrs. Sneha Sharma
1

2.  Contents:
 Introduction
 Advantages and Disadvantages
 Anatomy of nail
 Growth of nail
 Diseases of nail
 Factors affecting drug transport through nail
 Methods of enhancing nail penetration
 Nail lacquers as transungual drug delivery vehicle
 Marketed preparations
 Recent advances in nail drug delivery system
 Patents on transungual drug delivery system
 Conclusion
 References
2

3.  INTRODUCTION:
Nail is an important organ of human body. It is helpful in protection of tips of
fingers and toes against trauma also it enhances the sensation of fine touch and for
picking and manipulating objects. Nail drug delivery system is nothing but a
system associated with drug delivery through the nail to treat the problems
associated with nail disorders. Nail drug delivery system also called as
‘TRANSUNGUAL’ system. “Trans” means “through” and “unguis” means “nail”.
The study of anatomy and physiology of nail and its barriers is important for
successful delivery of drug across it. Newer drug delivery approaches can be used
for precise results. Various cosmetics are used for beautification and protection of
nail. Nail lacquers can be used as drug delivery system. Medicated nail lacquers
used as nail drug delivery system for antifungal efficacy.
3

4.  Advantages:
1. Preparation is easy compared to oral dosage forms.
2. Possible improved adherence .
3. Convenient for those who are unable to take systemic medication.
4. Preferred in elderly patients receiving multiple medications, to avoid
drug-drug Interaction.
5. Systemic adverse effects are absent.
6. Systemic absorption is less.
7. As it is a topical formulation it can be easily removed.
8. Multiple classes of antifungal medications have been utilized.
4

5.  Disadvantages:
1. Rash related adverse effects such as periungual erythema and erythema
of the proximal nail fold were reported most frequently.
2. Other adverse effects such as shape change, irritation, nail discoloration
may seen.
3. It has to be applied regularly until all the affected nail tissue has grown
out. And this takes 9- 12 months for toe nails and 6 months for finger
nails to regrow.
5

6. Anatomy of nail:
Fig. Anatomy of nail
6

7.  Components of nail:
 Matrix : matrix or root of the nail is the posterior or proximal part of nail.
 Lunula : it is the whitish half moon-shaped base of the visible nail.
 Nail plate: Actual part of nail called nail plate. And it is made of translucent keratin
protein. The plate appears pink because of the underlying capillaries.
 Nail bed: It is the skin beneath the nail plate.
 Hyponychium : known as ‘quick’. It is the epithelium located beneath the nail plate.
 Onychodermal band: It is a seal between the nail plate & the hyponychium.
 Eponychium: Also called as "proximal fold" or "cuticle". It is the small band of
epithelium that extends from the posterior nail wall onto the base of the nail.
 Paronychium: It is the border tissue of nail or lateral nail fold. The infection of this
area called paronychia.
7

8.  Growth of nail:
- The only living part of nail is growing tissue which is present under the
skin at nail proximal end under epidermis.
- In mammals the growth of nails relates with the length of terminal
phalanges. In humans index finger grows faster than that of the little finger and
fingernails grow up to 4 times faster than toe nails.
- Average nail growth rate is 3mm in a month. For regrow, finger nails takes
3-6 months while toe nails takes 12-18 months.
- Nails grow faster in the summer than in any other season.
8

9.  Diseases of nail:
1) Paronychia:
This may cause by bacteria, fungi or viruses.
People who have their hands in water for long
periods may develop this condition.
2) Pseudomonas bacterial infection:
In this a classic green discoloration of the nail
occures. The discoloration is simply a
by-product of the infection and is caused
mainly by the pigment pyocyanin.
3) Tinea Unguis:
It also called as ringworm of
the nails and it is characterized by nail
thickening, deformity, and results in nail
plate loss.
9

10. 4) Onychatrophia:
It is an atrophy or destruction of the
nail plate which causes it to lose its luster,
become smaller and sometimes shed entirely.
5) Leuconychia:
It is characterized by White spots or lines
appears on one or more nails & grow out
spontaneously.
6) Onychomycosis:
In this Yellow-brown patches near lateral
border of the nail are found.
10

11. 7) Onychogrypos:
It is characterized by a thickened
nail plate and are often the results
of trauma. This type of nail plate will
curve inward.
8) Onychorrhex:
Brittle nails which often split vertically,
peel andor have vertical ridges.
9) Beaus lines:
It is characterized by horizontal lines of
darkened cells and linear depressions.
11

12.  Factors affecting drug transport through nail:
 Molecular size of diffusing molecule
 HLB of diffusing molecule
 pH of vehicle
 Nature of vehicle
 Degree of ionization
 Nail plate hydration
 Presence of an intact dorsal layer
 Binding of the drug to keratin and other nail constituents
 Nail thickness
12

13.  Methods of enhancing nail penetration:
13
Physical Chemical Mechanical
Iontophoresis Sulphahydril Group
Compounds
Nail Abrasion
Etching Keratolytic
Enhancers
Nail Avulsion
Carbon Dioxide
Laser
Keratolytic
Enzymes
Hydration
Electroporation,
Micro Needles

14. 1] Physical methods
 Iontophoresis -It involves delivery of a compound across a membrane using an
electric field (electromotive force).
 Etching -It is done by exposure of surface modifying chemicals (e.g. phosphoric
acid) which results in the formation of profus microporosites. These microporosities
increase wettability and surface area.
 Carbon dioxide laser -There are two methods. One is avulsion of the affected nail
portion followed by laser treatment at 5000W/cm2 (power density). In this way
underlying tissue is exposed to direct laser therapy. While another method involves
penetrating the nail plate with CO2 laser beam followed with daily topical
antifungal treatment, penetrating laser-induced puncture holes.
14

15.  Hydration -Transungual penetration may increase due to hydration as it increases
the pore size of nail matrix. And also hydrated nail are more elastic and permeable.
 Electroporation - It is done with the application of an electric pulse of about100–
1,000 V/cm creates transient aqueous pores in the lipid bilayers making the solute
particles permeable through it.
 Micro needles -This is enhanced delivery system. In this method array of
microscopic needles are used which help to open pores in the stratum corneum
directly to the skin capillaries. It has the advantage of being too short that they do
not stimulate the pain fibres, and facilitate drug permeation.
15

16. 2] Chemical methods
 Compounds containing sulfhydryl groups - Compounds which contain sulfhydryl
(SH) groups such as acetylcysteine, cysteine, mercaptoethanol cleave the disulphide
bonds in nail proteins. Hence help to drug penetration.
 Keratolytic enhancers - Penetration of antifungal drugs are improved by
keratolytic agents like papain, urea, and salicylic acid. These agents disrupt the
keratin disulphide bonds and associated formation of pores that provide more open
drug transport channels.
 Keratolytic enzymes - keratinic tissues are effectively hydrolyzed by keratinase.
Keratinase clearly disrupted the nail plate, acting on both the intercellular matrix
that holds the cells of the nail plate together and the dorsal nail corneocytes by
corroding their surface.
16

17. 3] Mechanical methods
 Nail abrasion -Nail abrasion is method to thin out the thickness of nail plate or
destroy it completely. It involves sanding of nail plate. Sandpaper number 150 or
180 can be utilized for sanding purpose. The sanding must be performed on nail
edges and should not cause discomfort. Instrument used for sanding is a high-speed
sanding hand piece.
 Nail avulsion -Nail avulsion is the removal of nail plate. Total nail avulsion
(surgical removal of entire nail plate) or partial nail avulsion (partial removal of the
affected nail plate) is usually carried out by using local anesthesia.
17

18. 18

19.  Nail lacquers as transungual drug delivery
vehicle:
19

20.  Marketed preparations :
20
Sr. No. Drug name Product Name Company Name
1. 5% Econazole Eco Nail nail lacquer Macrochem Corp.
2. Ciclopiroxamine
(8%)
Penlac topical solution Cipla
3. Sertaconazole nitrate Zalain nail patch Labtec
4. Salicylic acid Phytex nail paint Pharmax
Healthcare Ltd.
5. Tazarotene Tazorac 0.1% gel Allergan Inc
6. Urea 40% Umecta nail film JSJ
Pharmaceuticals
7. Amorolfine Loceryl nail film Galderma Australia
Pvt. Ltd

21. 21

22.  Recent advances in nail delivery:
a) Electrochemotherapy for nail disorders-
This is an active method to deliver the drugs across the nail plate .
This method helps to increase the successive rate of topical monotherapy and
decrease the duration of treatment of nail disorders.
b) Mesoscissioning technology-
In this technology a micro-conduit is generated through skin or nail within
specified depth range.
c) Nanopatch nail fungus-
Nanopatch fungus is actively used to push antifungal drugs right through the nail
cuticle to the actual location of the fungus growth. This can be considered as an
option to directly target nail fungus at its source of growth.
22

23.  Patents: List of some patents on transungual drug delivery system .
23
Sr.
No.
Title Patent No. Inventors
1 Delivery of medicaments to the
nail
US 7959904 B2 Michael A. Repka
2 Antifungal treatment of nails US 8333981 B2 John Olin Trimble
3 Transungual device US 20060147423
A1
Jean-Yves
Legendre, Roberto
Cavazzuti
4 Controlled delivery system of
antifungal and keratolytic
agents for local treatment of
fungal infections of the nail
and surrounding tissues
EP 1138314 A2 Rachel Cohen,
Michael
Friedman, Yechiel
Golander
5 Compositions and methods for
treating fungal infection of the
nail
WO
2011019317 A1
Ake Lindahl

24.  Conclusion:
This seminar is to explore the transungual drug delivery system and recent
advances associated with it. The need of formulations of this system is
increased in market as they can used as cosmetics as well as medication.
This advanced approach may help to minimize the problems of oral
antifungal medication. This overview explains the various physical, chemical,
mechanical methods to increase the drug permeation through
nail. So this can be used to design and develop the transungual drug
delivery system.
24

25.  References:
1] Azhar danish khan, ayan giri , lubhan singh; Transungual drug delivery: a
newer approach ;World journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences,
Volume 3, issue 3, 781-794.
2] Budati karuna; Nail drug delivery system-a novel approaches for drug
delivery system ; ijprbs, 2013; volume 2(2): 313-331
3] Pooja yadav, Priyanka maurya; Transungual drug delivery: past, present
& future trends; ijptb. 2016; 3(3):01-19.
4] Santanu roy chowdhury et.al. Transungual drug delivery-a novel approach
of unique features; Indo american journal of pharm research.2013:3(6).
5] Deepak singh bisht, Ganesh kumar bhatt and Preeti kothiyal;
Transungual drug delivery system: a review; IJPRBS, 2015; Volume
4(4): 48-61
6] Kavyanjana r nair, Jasmin elsa mathew, Priya thomas, Jiju v, Elessy
abraham; Nail drug delivery system-a promising route to treat nail
disorders; ijseas, volume-3, issue-3,march 2017 ,Issn: 2395-3470
25

26. 7] Kapil Kumar,V. Fateh; Drug delivery across human nail: a newer
approach; International Journal of Research and Development in Pharmacy
and Life Sciences; October - November, 2014, Vol. 3, No.6, pp 1217-1222
8] T. Praveen Kumar, P. Narayana Raju; Transungual Drug Delivery: A
Promising Route to Treat Nail Disorders; International Journal of Pharma
Research & Review, April 2013; 2(4):22-33
9] A.takke ; Transungual (nail) a promising drug Delivery system: a review;
Int J Pharma Bio Sci 2017 July; 8(3): (P) 341-349
10] P Muralidhar , E Bhargav, K Rajesh Reddy; Transungual Drug Delivery:
An Over View; Int J Pharma Res Health Sci. 2017; 5 (1): 1522-1528
11] Pradeep S. Patil, Sangita V. Badgujar and Ashwin A. Torne; Nailing the
nail trouble by transungal drug delivery; ejpmr, 2015,2(2), 551-571
12] Ashutosh Badola, Satish, Shweta Baluni1; A review: transungal drug
delivery a new and novel system; Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical
Science & Technology ; Vol 5|Issue 4| 2015|227-233.
26

27. 27