Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Sensitivity of Leaf Extract of Chromolaena odorata infused into Herbal Emulgel Formulations

Emulgel is a topical drug delivery technology that combines the advantages of gel and emulsion, giving it the ability to manage drug release in two ways. Its benefits include being emollient, non-staining, water-soluble, thixotropic, greaseless, readily spreadable on the skin, quickly removed, bio-friendly, and a good ability to penetrate the skin. Hence, the objective of this paper was to evaluate the phytochemical screening and antibacterial sensitivity of leaf extract of chromolaena odorata infused into herbal emulgel formulations using appropriate standard procedures. Phytochemical screening of the ethanol extract of Chromolaena odorata reveals the presence of secondary metabolites such as tannins, saponins, alkaloids and flavonoids. Tannins were the most predominant phytochemical. The findings showed that the emulgels had pH between 7.9 and 8.2, exhibiting excellent homogeneity, spreadability, and extrudability. The research demonstrated that the crude extract of Chromolaena odorata exhibited antibacterial activity in vitro against the tested bacteria. The antibacterial activity of Chromolaena odorata was enhanced when formulated into emulgel with a 1.5 fold increase in inhibition against S. epidermis, 2 fold increase in activity against K. pneumonia and 2.6 fold increase in activity against E. coli at a concentration of 800 mg/mL. There was no change in activity of the emulgel against S. aureus. The emulgel as a delivery system could possibly be used to deliver Chromolaena odorata extract for improved activity in the treatment of skin conditions caused by the selected pathogens.