Formulation, Characterization, and Antioxidant Potential of a Novel Herbal Emulgel Containing Coccinia grandis and Curcuma longa Extracts
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Abstract
Background: Oxidative stress and inflammation have a key role in the development of tissue damage, retardation of wound healing and inflammatory diseases. The objective of the current research was to create and test a new, improved herbal emulgel using hydroalcoholic extracts of Coccinia grandis and Curcuma longa to increase the antioxidant potential and topical curative activity.
Methods: Soxhlet extraction was applied to the extracts with 70% ethanol and qualitative phytochemical screening was done to ascertain the presence of flavonoids, phenolics, triterpenoids, and curcuminoids. A blend emulgel was prepared with Carbopol 934 as a gelling agent and the physicochemical properties such as pH, viscosity, spreadability, globule size as well as stability were determined.
Results: The optimized formulation had good physicochemical properties, including a skin-compatible pH (6.15 ± 0.02), viscosity, consistent globule size, and homogeneity. In vitro antioxidant activity was determined by means of DPPH radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, reducing power and phosphomolybdenum assays. The combination emulgel was shown to have a much greater antioxidant activity than individual formulations with DPPH inhibition of 78.96 ± 1.25, hydrogen peroxide scavenging of 67.88 ± 1.22, increased reducing power (0.632 ± 0.015), and total antioxidant capacity of 52.8. This increased activity is explained by the synergistic effect between bioactive phytoconstituents of both plant extracts and by the better delivery of the extracts by the emulgel system.
Conclusion: These results indicate that the produced herbal emulgel is a potential topical emulgel in the treatment of oxidative stress-related disorders.
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