DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF AN ARTEMISIA ANNUA HERBAL GEL FOR ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

The present study was undertaken with the aim of developing and evaluating an Artemisia annua L. herbal gel for antimicrobial activity. The aerial parts of A. annua were collected from Bagsiad, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, during September 2025 and authenticated by a qualified botanist. The collected plant material was shade-dried, powdered, and extracted with ethanol using the Soxhlet extraction method. The prepared extract was subjected to loss on drying and preliminary phytochemical screening to identify the major classes of secondary metabolites. The ethanolic extract was subsequently incorporated into Carbopol 940-based topical gel formulations. Five formulations (F1–F5) were prepared using different concentrations of Carbopol 940 and propylene glycol, while methyl paraben, propyl paraben, and triethanolamine were used as preservatives and pH-adjusting/neutralizing agents. The prepared formulations were evaluated for physical appearance, homogeneity, pH, viscosity, spreadability, and extrudability. Among the formulations, F2 was selected as the optimized formulation based on its overall physicochemical properties. F2 showed a smooth and homogeneous appearance, pH of 5.80 ± 0.046, viscosity of 1285 ± 15.2 cP, spreadability of 6.80 ± 0.08, and excellent extrudability. The optimized formulation was further evaluated for in-vitro antibacterial activity using the agar disc diffusion method against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. F2 exhibited zones of inhibition of 10 mm against E. coli and 11 mm against P. aeruginosa, whereas no zone of inhibition was observed against S. aureus under the experimental conditions. The findings indicate that the ethanolic extract of A. annua can be successfully incorporated into a Carbopol 940-based topical gel with acceptable physicochemical characteristics and measurable antibacterial activity. The developed F2 formulation may therefore have potential as a topical herbal antimicrobial preparation. Further studies are recommended to evaluate its stability, safety, skin irritation, drug release, permeation, and antimicrobial efficacy against a broader range of microorganisms.