Formulation and Physicochemical Evaluation of Herbal Ointment Containing Tridax procumbens and Nyctanthesarbor-tristis Extracts

Abstract

Background: There has been increasing interest in herbal formulations as topical agents owing to their varied components and good safety. Two plants known to contain several bioactive components and thus suitable
for the development of herbal formulations are Tridax procumbens and Nyctanthes arbor-tristis. Objectives: In the present study, efforts were made to prepare and evaluate an herbal ointment using the hydroalcoholic extracts of T. procumbens and N. arbor-tristis. Materials and Methods: Leaves of both plants were used for the preparation of the hydroalcoholic extracts by the Soxhlet method. Both the extracts were screened preliminarily for phytochemical analysis. Three ointment preparations (F1, F2, and F3) were prepared by using a paraffin base for the preparation of the ointments. The formulations were tested for their organoleptic properties, pH, homogeneity, spreadability, extrudability, viscosity, washability, uniformity of drug content, and stability at room
temperature and accelerated storage. Results: Both plant extracts were extracted in adequate amounts through the above procedure. The phytochemical tests detected the presence of flavonoids, phenols, tannins, glycosides, terpenoids, saponins, and alkaloids. All formulations had satisfactory physicochemical properties that included smooth appearance, satisfactory homogeneity, satisfactory pH, satisfactory spreadability, extrudability, viscosity, washability, and uniform drug content. Conclusion: The formulated herbal ointment had suitable physicochemical
properties and stability, thus suggesting that the preparation would make an appropriate semisolid preparation for topical administration. However, further studies are necessary to assess its therapeutic effectiveness.