Abstract

EMULGELS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW INCLUDING PATENTS

Usmania*, Ajay Bilandi, Mahesh K. Kataria, Khemchand and Sohan Lal

ABSTRACT

Topical drug delivery is an attractive route for local and systemic treatment. Topical drug administration is a localized drug delivery system anywhere in the body through ophthalmic, rectal, vaginal and skin as topical routes. Major drawback of topical dosage form is dissolution and diffusion of drug in the delivery of hydrophobic drugs, and permeation through stratum corneum is for hydrophilic drugs. Therefore, to overcome this limitation, emulgels are prepared. The combined dosage form of gels and emulsions are referred as emulgels. Emulgels are a relatively newer class of dosage form created by entrapment of large amounts of aqueous or hydro alcoholic liquid in a network of colloidal solid particles, which may consist of inorganic substances, such as aluminum salts or organic polymers of natural or synthetic origin. Emulgels have the major advantages on novel vesicular systems as well as on conventional systems in various emollient, non staining, water soluble, comedogenic and bio friendly. Use of penetration enhancers such as clove oil, menthol, oleic acid, etc. enhances the effect. These emulgels are packaged with membrane sealed lacquered tube with a propylene screw cap. Voltren, voveren, voltrol and many more are the various marketed preparations of the emulgel used widely today. This review concise the detail on the basics of emulgel, preparation, required penetration enhancers, factors affecting, evaluation methods and patents related to the emulgel.

Keywords: Topical drug delivery, emulgels, penetration, patents.