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

The study investigates a meropenem-loaded spanlastic carbopol gel (Batch F5) for topical delivery, showing promising results for treating bacterial skin infections. The formulation, with a particle size of 462 nm and 69.5% drug encapsulation efficiency, demonstrated a 2.4-fold reduction in the minimum inhibitory concentration against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and downregulated the mexA resistance gene. In vivo tests on non-diabetic mice showed significant therapeutic activity, with 89% wound closure and 49% wound area reduction at 10 days, along with histopathological improvements. This suggests the formulation's strong potential as an effective topical therapy for pressure ulcers.