Development of Novel In-Situ Nasal Gels for the Delivery of Herbal Drugs: A Preliminary Study on the Influence of the Residual Mucosal Clearance

In situ gel formulations such as <i>Tagetes erecta</i> Linn and <i>Similax zeylanica</i> were created and optimized for the administration of herbal medications. The study underscores the potential of in-situ nasal gels as a promising approach for enhancing drug delivery to treat allergic rhinitis, offering sustained drug release and prolonged therapeutic action. The estimate and compare different formulation of in-situ nasal gel formulations for the administration of herbal medications such as <i>Similax zeylanica</i> and <i>Tagetes</i> to treat allergic rhinitis. The in-situ gel was prepared by a cold method, and different concentrations of polymers were used, such as HPMC K4M (0.5- 1.5 %), PEG 4000 (1.5-3% w/v), and Carbopol 934 (0.5-1.5%) The optimized formulation, batch F-6, exhibited excellent properties in terms of physical appearance, pH range, drug content, and viscosity, making it a stable and effective formulation for nasal drug delivery. The morphology, size, and shape of the optimized formulation were investigated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the response surface models confirmed the significance and suitability of the developed formulations. The study concluded by demonstrating the effective creation and enhancement of in-situ nasal gel formulations for the administration of herbal medications such as <i>Similax zeylanica</i> and <i>Tagetes erecta</i> Linn. Promising outcomes in terms of extended therapeutic effect, enhanced bioavailability, and sustained drug release were demonstrated by the in-situ gels. Drug absorption and therapeutic effects were improved by the formulations’ usage of mucoadhesive polymers, which extended the drug’s residence duration on the nasal mucosa.