Emulgel: Magnifying the application of topical drug delivery

Abstract

Topical drug delivery is mostly culled for the local dermatological action, but recently the new technologies are also enhancing its systemic effect. They are generally applied for the purpose as antiseptics, antifungal agents, skin emollients, and protectants. The activity of topical preparation confide in the various factors as drug solubility, its lipophilicity, contact time to skin, its permeability. Many widely used topical agents like ointments, creams, lotions, gel are associated with disadvantages like stability problems, stickiness and lesser spreading coefficient, irritation, allergic reactions, poor permeability, poor absorption and difficulty in absorption of large molecule, to rectify this the new concept of Emulgel has been introduced with the main objective to deliver hydrophobic drug molecule. Emulgel is oil in water or water in oil emulsion carrying drug to be incorporated in gel base to obtain gellified emulsion. Emulgel shows the controlled and better release effect of drug by virtue of combined effect of gel and emulsion with increased stability. Gel having various advantages as non greasy and favors good patient compliance in field of cosmetology and dermatology but are still limited to the deliver hydrophobic drugs. So the Emulgel comes to favour the hydrophobic drugs to give the advantages of gel. Emulgels have several advantages in the field of dermatology such as being thixotropic, greaseless, easily spreadable, easily removable, emollient, nonstaining, long shelf life, bio-friendly, transparent and pleasing appearance. Factors such as gelling agent, oil agent, emulsifiers influence the stability and efficacy of emulgel. So emulgels can be the better semisolid preparation than other conventional systems. At present the emulgel are being used for the delivery of analgesics, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-acne drugs and various cosmetic formulations with still wide range to explore.