Abstract

FORMULATION, DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF POLYHERBAL ANTI-ACNE GEL CONTAINING TEPHROSIA PURPUREA, ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA AND VERNONIA ANTHELMINTICA

Nidhi Thakur*, Eisha Ganju and Neeraj Upmanyu

ABSTRACT

Plants and plant-based medicaments are the basis of many of the modern pharmaceuticals we use today for our various diseases. Acne is an inflammatory skin disease that occurs due to blockages in polysebase and inflammation that are caused by bacteria. Topical and systemic antibiotics are always used for treatment of acne, but the gradual resistance to antibiotics can affect the success rate of acne cure. Propionibacterium acnes are common pus-forming microbes responsible for the development of various forms of acne. In the present study anti-acne gels were prepared using polymer carbopol 940 along with the hydroalcoholic extracts of plants leaves of Tephrosia purpurea, aerial part of Andrographis paniculata and seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica and evaluated for their physicochemical properties, like pH, washability, extrudability, spreadability and viscosity. The formulations (PHF1-PHF6) were tested for the anti acne activity by well diffusion method against Propionibacterium acnes. Results showed that the gels were non-irritant, stable and posses anti-acne activity. The efficacy when tested with a standard was almost same to that of Clindamycin. This suggests that leaves of Tephrosia purpurea, aerial part of Andrographis paniculata and seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica have potential against acne causing bacteria and hence they can be used in topical anti-acne preparations and may address the antibiotic resistance of the bacteria.

Keywords: Tephrosia purpurea, Andrographis paniculata, Vernonia anthelmintica, Propionibacterium acnes, Acne vulgaris, Carbopol, Physicochemical properties.