Development And Evaluation of Herbal Gel containing Ethanolic extract of Tridax procumbens Linn

Tridax procumbens Linn. (Asteraceae), commonly known as coat buttons, is a traditionally used medicinal plant reputed for its wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. The present study was undertaken to develop and evaluate a herbal gel formulation containing the ethanolic extract of Tridax procumbens leaves for topical application. The plant material was collected, authenticated, shade-dried, and subjected to Soxhlet extraction using ethanol as solvent. The ethanolic extract was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening to confirm the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, saponins, and phenolic compounds. Herbal gel formulations were prepared using Carbopol 934 as the gelling agent in varying concentrations, along with suitable humectants, preservatives, and permeation enhancers, employing the cold method. The formulated gels (F1–F4/F5, as applicable) were evaluated for physicochemical parameters including physical appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, homogeneity, drug content, and in vitro diffusion study. Antimicrobial and/or wound-healing activity was assessed to correlate the therapeutic efficacy of the formulation with the traditional claims. Stability studies were performed as per ICH guidelines to determine the shelf-life of the optimized formulation. Among the formulations, the batch containing an optimum concentration of Carbopol 934 exhibited desirable pH (close to skin pH), good spreadability, homogeneity, and sustained drug release profile, along with significant antimicrobial/wound-healing activity, indicating its suitability for topical delivery. The findings suggest that the ethanolic extract of Tridax procumbens can be successfully formulated into a stable, effective herbal gel, offering a promising natural alternative to synthetic topical agents for wound care and skin infections. Further in vivo and clinical studies are recommended to substantiate these findings.