IN-VITRO AND IN-SILICO EVALUATION OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY POTENTIAL OF A PHYTOCHEMICAL-ENRICHED TOPICAL HERBAL CREAM DEVELOPED FROM ACANTHOCEREUS TETRAGONUS

Inflammation is a protective biological response against tissue injury and infection; however, prolonged inflammation can lead to chronic disorders such as arthritis and dermatitis. The present study aimed to formulate and evaluate a polyherbal topical cream containing Acanthocereus tetragonus extract and to scientifically validate its anti-inflammatory potential using in vitro and in silico approaches. The objectives included extraction of phytoconstituents by Soxhlet extraction, phytochemical screening, formulation of a water-in-oil (W/O) cream, physicochemical evaluation, and assessment of anti-inflammatory activity through protein denaturation and HRBC membrane stabilization assays, along with molecular docking against protein target 4H3X. Phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and triterpenoids. The formulated creams (F1 and F2) exhibited acceptable physical characteristics, homogeneity, pH (6.46–6.56), spreadability, washability, and satisfactory acid and saponification values. In vitro studies demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity, with maximum protein denaturation inhibition (66.07% at 300 µg/mL) and membrane stabilization (74.38% at 100 µg/mL), comparable to diclofenac. Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities of selected phytoconstituents toward protein 4H3X, particularly luteolin-O-rutinoside (−10.83 kcal/mol), indicating stable ligand–protein interactions. The integrated findings confirm that Acanthocereus tetragonus possesses promising anti-inflammatory activity and supports its potential application in safe and effective topical herbal formulations.