FORMULATION AND IN VITRO EVALUATION OF A NOVEL MEFENAMIC ACID TOPICAL CREAM

Abstract

Mefenamic acid (MA) is a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), which has been established in pharmacologic management of musculoskeletal disorders. This study was designed to formulate and conduct an in vitro evaluation of a novel MA topical cream, which would reduce the gastrointestinal associated toxicities related to oral administration. A concentration of 1-2% of MA was prepared by using a different combination of the excipients. Either ethanol or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) are employed as vehicles for hydrophobic compounds, which are commonly used as solvents. The creams were evaluated by their physical properties, stability studies and addition of an in vitro anti-inflammatory test for mefenamic acid creams. The physical studies include organoleptic test, pH test, spreadability test and dye test while for the stability studies, the creams were tested with accelerated stability studies and microbial growth. MA in DMSO showed better anti-inflammatory effect compared to MA in ethanol in the correlation of results with that of marketed products. In conclusion, this study proved that MA cream can also be a good choice of semi-solid formulation and further studies would be suggested to enhance this cream as a novel choice of formulation to be introduced and marketed by the pharmaceutical industry