Transdermal Film Loaded with Curcuma longa‐Derived Selenium Nanoparticles: Molecular Docking, Ex Vivo Permeability, and Acute Toxicity Study

Abstract Se NPs were synthesized using a heating and stirring process involving Curcuma longa extract and selenious acid. Characterization revealed UV–vis absorption at 269 nm, FTIR peaks at 3440 cm −1 (phenolic OH group), 3387 cm −1 (C═O), 2873.42 cm −1 (aromatic ring CH), and 904 cm −1 (Se═O). The average particle size was 27.60 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.38. Scanning electron microscopy displayed irregular square morphology at 50 µm. Inductive couple spectroscopy yielded an 8.84% selenium content. Molecular docking exhibited promising antibacterial (−10.6 kcal/mol) and antifungal (−10.06 kcal/mol) activities compared to standard ciprofloxacin. There was an increase in the zone of inhibition for Streptococcus aureus (16–12 mm), Bacillus subtilis (21–15 mm), Escherichia coli (18.6–14 mm), and Candida albicans (16–10.6 mm). Transdermal films incorporating Se NPs were optimized using the Box–Behnken design, with desirable drug content (95.93%), excellent folding endurance (240), film thickness (0.325 mm), and moisture content (3.39% w/w). In vitro and ex vivo drug release analyses demonstrated efficient delivery: 24.35% (5 h) for in vitro and 18.76% (5 h) for ex vivo, outperforming the marketed formulation (43.75% in vitro, 26.501% ex vivo release). This study highlights the potential of green‐synthesized Se NPs from C. longa in transdermal drug delivery systems, offering enhanced therapeutic efficacy and sustainability.