FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF EMULGEL CONTAINING LIQUORICE EXTRACT

*Neethu Sreejan and Dr. Suja C.

ABSTRACT

Emulgel is one of the most important topical drug delivery system as it has double release control system i.e emulsion and gel. The emulsion is incorporated into the gel matrix to prepare emulgel which forms a viscous formulation and provides better permeation and stability. The aim of this study is to formulate emulgels containing Liquorice extract and evaluate the formulations for better and improved therapeutic activity. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs can be easily incorporated in nano-emulsion and stability can be enhanced with the help of a gelling agent. Formulations were prepared using different concentrations of oil phase (liquid paraffin), surfactant (tween 80) and (PEG 400)as co-surfactant by spontaneous emulsification method. Region of nano-emulsion system was found in the pseudo-ternary phase diagrams developed at different ratios of surfactant and oil. Nano-emulgels loaded with drugs were characterized for, viscosity, spreadability, particle size, zeta potential, in-vitro drug release, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory studies. The optimized formulation, F4 showed a drug release of 94% at the end of 6 hours & followed zero order kinetics with non fickian release pattern. The result showed that the liquorice extract was loaded in water in oil type of emulsion and was found to be homogenous,and the in-vitro release study shows that F4 formulation shows the maximum drug release. As it combines the advantage of an emulsion and gel it can be concluded that liquorice extract of nano-emulgel can be effectively used as a topical dosage form.

Keywords: Nanoemulsion, Liquorice Extract, Nanoemulgel.