L-Carnosine loaded chondroitin sulphate functionalized proposomes as an effective tool for transdermal rheumatoid arthritis management.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation, cartilage deterioration, and oxidative stress. The study developed transdermal RA treatment with L-carnosine (CAR)-loaded chondroitin sulphate (CHS) functionalised proposomes. CHS-functionalised proposomes measured 285 ± 0.89 nm, with PDI of 0.31 ± 0.05, zeta potential of -13.6 ± 0.67 mV, and entrapment efficiency of 73.96 ± 0.87. TEM confirmed their spherical shape and homogenous CHS coating. Biphasic drug release in vitro began with 13.2% burst release in 0.5 h and over 8 h, sustained release reached 83.79%. Ex-vivo permeation results revealed that the selected formulation increased CAR flux by 30.97 folds compared to CAR gel. In vivo testing in rats with AIA model showed that group treated with selected formulation demonstrated reduced joint inflammation and soft tissue swelling that was further confirmed by X-ray radiography. ELISA results showed significant reduction in TNF-α and IL-1β and elevation in NRF2 and SOD with levels comparable to the negative control group. Histopathological investigation showed cartilage integrity and proteoglycan content similar to the negative control. The CHS-functionalised CAR-loaded proposomes improved CAR permeation, targeted inflammatory joints, and reduced oxidative stress, making them a viable non-invasive RA treatment.