Design, Formulation and Evaluation of a Polyherbal Topical Gel for Management of Acne Vulgaris.

Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris is a long-term inflammatory condition of the pilosebaceous unit that includes inflammation, microbial colonization, follicular hyperkeratinization, and altered sebum production. Research on medicinal plants with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties has been stimulated by the growing demand for well-tolerated topical substitutes. Objective: The goal of this work was to create and test a polyherbal topical gel using ethanolic extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis leaves and Mesua ferrea flower buds. Methods: Plant materials were pulverized, shade-dried, and extracted using ethanolic maceration. Triethanolamine was used to neutralize the extracts after they were dispersed into a gel based on carbopol. The appearance, consistency, pH, spreadability, and extrudability of the formulations were evaluated. The ditch-plate method was used to assess antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and Escherichia coli, and the results were compared with a commercial Clindamycin gel. Results: According to the optimized formulation composition, the formulation chosen as F2 had 2.50 g of aloe vera gel, 1.00 g of rosemary extract, and 1.50 g of M. ferrea extract. F2 had a yellowish-brown color, outstanding consistency, great extrudability, spreadability of 0.35 g•cm/s, and a skin-compatible pH of 5–5.5. The manufactured comparator displayed zones of inhibition of 18.5 and 16.5 mm, respectively, while the reported zones of inhibition for the formulated gel were 11.2 mm against C. acne, 11.7 mm against St. Epidermidis, 12.5 mm against E. coli and 11.5 mm against C. albicans. Conclusion: The investigation shows that adding extracts from M. ferrea and R. officinalis to a topical gel with acceptable initial physicochemical characteristics and quantifiable antibacterial activity is feasible. With this, optimized F2 formulation has shown greater anti-acne efficacy against the acne causing bacteria as compatred with marketed formulation...