Abstract

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL OINTMENT FORMULATION CONTAINING EXTRACTS OF OCIMUM SANCTUM, ANTHOCEPHALUS CADAMBA, ALLIUM SATIVUM AND ORIGANUM VULGARE

T. Rajesh* Anup Kumar Roy, V.N.Raju Erumalla, Divakar Goli , Syed Jalaluddin Basha

Abstract

Most of the antibiotics were originally derived from micro-organisms while the chemotherapeutic agents are from plants. Along with other dosage forms, herbal drugs are also formulated in the form of ointment. An ointment is a viscous semisolid preparation used topically on a variety of body surfaces. The objective of the study was to formulate and evaluate the antimicrobial herbal ointment from the local medicinal plants. The hexane, ethyl-acetate and ethanolic extracts of the selected plants were taken in different ratio randomly and the antimicrobial tests of the combinations were carried out. The most effective combination was then determined by comparing the results of the zone of inhibition given by the 12 different extracts ratios on Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC-3160), Escherichia coli (MTCC-1652) for antibacterial and Aspergillus niger (MTCC-282) for antifungal were used. Then the minimum inhibitory concentration of the effective combination was found out. The ointment base was prepared and formulation of ointment was done by incorporating the active ingredients in most effective ratio in the base by trituration. After the completion of the formulation, quality of the ointment was assessed in terms of irritancy, pH, viscosity, spreadability and stability studies. Comparative antimicrobial studies for prepared formulations with marketed antibiotic discs and herbal ointment.

Keywords: Antimicrobial activity, Human pathogens, Herbal ointment, MIC, MBC and MFC, Comparative antimicrobial studies