FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTI-ACNE GEL OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA EXTRACT HERBAL PRODUCT

Salwa M. Raweh, Maged Alwan Noman, Mahmoud Mahyoob Alburyhi* and Abdalwali Ahmed Saif

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to produce a Carbopol 940 based gel formula containing an Azadirachta indica leaf extract and evaluate its anti-acne potential. The ethanolic extract was derived from the dried leaves of Azadirachta indica and was subjected to a phytochemical evaluation. Three gel formulations of Carbopol 940 containing an Azadirachta indica extract in three different concentrations, i.e., 1, 2, and 3% w/w were prepared. These gels were evaluated for their physical appearance, antimicrobial activity, skin irritability, pH, spreadability, and viscosity. The prepared formulas were stable, greenish and homogeneous. None of them showed irritation to the skin. The spreadability (g.cm/sec), viscosity (cps), and pH of all three formulations was 34.68, 53 270–65 400, and 7–8, respectively. Gel-III exhibited the highest antimicrobial potential against Propionibacterium acne, the main causative organism of acne with a zone of inhibition of 16.2 ± 0.6 mm. It was revealed from the acne healing studies that the elimination time for the acne treated with Gel-III was 15 days. A formulation gel containing 3% w/w extract showed better antimicrobial activity, physicochemical characteristics, and pharmacological parameters than the other formulations. It can be concluded that the acne healing process was faster with the gel formulation containing 3% w/w of the Azadirachta indica extract, proposing that this formulation is a promising candidate for acne healing.

Keywords: Azadirachta indica, Gel, Anti-acne.