Title:Effective Topical Psoralen Herbal Hydrogel Expending Capsaicin as a
Penetration Enhancer
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Author(s): Kamini Bhardwaj*, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, Monika Sachdeva, Pankaj Budhlakoti and Nemai Chandra Ghosh
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacy, Raj Kumar Goel Institute of Technology, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Keywords:
Psoralen, hydrogel, capsaicin, carbopol 940, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, pectin, pluronic 127.
Abstract:
Background: This research aims to prepare a hydrogel of psoralen and capsaicin extract for
topical application using various gelling agents like Carbopol 940, HPMC, Pluronic 127, and Pectin to
minimize the side effect of synthetic drugs in treating psoriasis. Natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic
polymers were utilized for the treatment of psoriasis, and provide a number of benefits, including improved
skin permeability, particularly for psoralen, and improved drug stability with improved therapeutic
concentration gradients across the skin. Psoriasis is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease affecting
2-3 % worldwide.
Methods: FTIR and HPLC confirm the extract identification. pH, spreadability, homogeneity, extrudability,
phase separation, viscosity, drug content, and stability analysis are all tested on all prepared
hydrogels. The releases of psoralen from all prepared formulations are studied in phosphate buffer pH
6.8 using dialysis membranes at 37°C.
Results: The net results conclude that hydrogels made using Carbopol-940 and HPMC (A1, A3, B2,
B3) are the most superior and reliable formulations in terms of physicochemical parameters and in
vitro permeation studies, out of which 1% carbopol 940 formulations (A3) showed maximum %CDR
of 87.96 % much higher compared to other concentration used. Fitting data of the best formulations
(A1, A3, B2, B3) obtained from in vitro drug permeation studies showed the release best fitted to the
Korsmeyer-Peppas model as indicated by higher R2 value. The optimum formulation (A3) has a higher
R2 value, which is then compared with the marketed formulation for the release of psoralen (in
vitro), showing that %CDR of the A3 formulation (87.96%) is much higher than the %CDR of the
marketed formulation (79.58%), due to the impact of capsaicin which acts as a penetration enhancer
and therefore increases psoralen release from the hydrogel.
Conclusion: As a result, the permeability issue with Psoralen for dermal drug administration has been
overcome by using capsaicin as a permeability enhancer.
