DEVELOPMENT OF TERMINALIA CHEBULA LOADED ETHOSOMAL GEL FOR TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY

Abstract

Objective: Oral route is the usual route of drug delivery which has many advantages such as easy delivery but has disadvantages such as poor bioavailability and tendency to produce rapid blood level spikes, such that there becomes a necessity for higher dose or recurrent dosing which becomes difficult for the patient and also high cost. Keeping all these drawbacks in concern, there arises a necessity for novel development of drug delivery with improved therapeutic efficacy and safety with targeted delivery such that size and number of doses could be reduced. This can be achieved by transdermal delivery which possesses several advantages such as avoids first-pass metabolism, eliminates gastrointestinal irritation reduces frequency of dosing, and rapid termination of drug action.Methods: Dried fruits of Terminalia chebula were extracted and preliminary phytochemical evaluation was performed. Ethosome was prepared by cold method using soya lecithin. Ethosomal gel was prepared using carbopol as gelling agent and was evaluated.Results and Discussion: The prepared gel was evaluated for its pharmaceutical properties and was found to be satisfactory. The in vitro drug diffusion of ethosomal gel showed better release compared with that of the gel with extract. In vitro anti-arthritic activity exhibited significant effect compared to that of the standard diclofenac.Conclusion: Considering all the above-mentioned factors, the present study was aimed to develop a natural drug-loaded ethosomal gel for transdermal drug delivery, thereby permeation of drug can be enhanced compared with conventional dosage forms.