FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL HERBOSOMAL GEL FROM CURCUMIN
Vinod Bariya, Ms. Trapti Shrivastava, Dr. Prithu Pathak, Kuldeep Ganju
ABSTRACT
Curcumin, a bioactive compound derived from Curcuma longa, possesses potent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties but suffers from poor solubility and bioavailability, limiting its therapeutic use in topical formulations. In this study, curcumin-loaded herbosomes were formulated and optimized to enhance its stability, skin permeation, and antimicrobial efficacy. Herbosomes were prepared using phospholipids and cholesterol via the solvent evaporation method, and various formulation parameters were optimized based on particle size and drug entrapment efficiency. The optimized formulation (F10) demonstrated a particle size of 220.47 nm and 71.12% entrapment efficiency. This formulation was then incorporated into a Carbopol-based gel matrix to prepare a topical herbosomal gel. Among the six gel formulations (G1–G6), G5 exhibited optimal physicochemical properties, including high drug content (99.45%), suitable pH (6.8), spreadability, and viscosity. The antimicrobial activity of the gel was evaluated against Candida albicans using the well diffusion method. The results showed that the herbosomal gel (G5) had significant antifungal activity, comparable to standard fluconazole. The study concludes that curcumin-loaded herbosomal gel is a promising approach for the development of stable, effective, and patient-friendly topical antimicrobial therapies.
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