Formulation Development and Optimization of Prolonged-Release Lemon Grass Oil-Loaded Organogel with an Enhanced Antifungal Activity using 3 Factor 2 Level Full Factorial Design Approach

The present research work aimed to develop biocompatible, prolonged-release lemon grass oil (LGO) loaded organogel with an enhanced antifungal activity using 3-factor 2-level full factorial design approach. Viscosity (cP), Spredability (gm. cm/sec), and the time at which 90–100% diffusion occurred (hours) were chosen as dependent variables, while Span 80, Tween 80, and Carbopol 934 concentrations were regarded as independent variables. The developed organogel formulations were characterized for color, texture, pH, assay, viscosity, diffusion, spredability, and antifungal activity. The results of the study showed that each independent variable had a substantial impact on the dependent variables (p lower than 0.05). All organogel formulations were found to be pale yellow with smooth to viscous texture. The pH of the gels (5.61 ± 0.05 to 5.82 ± 0.05) was found to be compatible with the skin pH. The assay/drug content (97.10 to 101.81) of organogels was also found within an acceptable range. The spredability and viscosity parameters were also found to be satisfactory. Nearly 9–12 hours were required for 90-100% diffusion of the LGO from organogel formulation. Excellent prolonged release behavior was observed in almost all formulation batches. In comparison to the marketed formulation, the F4-optimized formulation showed significantly prolonged release behavior. The viscosity in all batches varied from 2548 (F6) to 3555 cP (F2) while the spredability ranged between 9.32 (F2) to 13.84 gm. cm/sec. The optimized batch of organogel (F4) showed the highest antifungal activity based on zone of inhibition (32 mm) followed by Clindac A 1% gel and Nystatin as standard. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the successful development of LGO-loaded prolonged-release organogel with enhanced antifungal activity.