FORMULATION AND EVALUATION STUDIES OF EMULGEL CONTAINING MEFENAMIC ACID

Fairusa Musthafa, Dr. Suja C. and Shuhaib B.*

ABSTRACT

The objective of the present investigation was formulate & characterize the emulgel containing mefenamic acid.Mefenamic acid emulgel using HPMC and NaCMC as gelling agent were successfully developed. The developed formulations were then characterized for their physical appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, drug content and in vitro release. The emulgel (CF1) prepared using HPMC as gelling agent, propylene glycol as co- surfactant and clove oil as penetration enhancer was found to show better result when compared to emulgel (CF2) prepared using NaCMC as gelling agent. In CF1, correlation coefficient of zero order kinetics was found to be R2 = 0.995 and that of first order kinetics was to be R2=0.771.Higuchi plot was found to be linear with regression coefficient R2=0.902. Hence it shows that the drug release follows zero order kinectics.To confirm exact mechanism of drug permeation from the emulgel, the data was fitted according to the Korsmeyer- Peppas model.The value of slope of the plot n gives an indication of the release mechanism. When n=1, the release is independent of time i.e., zero order, if n=0.5 then the release is by Fickian diffusion. When n= 0.5-1, diffusion is non-fickian and when n>1.0 then it is super case II transport. The ‘n’ exponent value of optimized batch was found to be 0.651. Hence it shows non-fickian diffusion.

Keywords: Mefenamic acid, emulgel, release kinetics.