A HERBAL CREAM FOR ACNE VULGARIS

The present work deals with the development and evaluation of a herbal anti-acne cream. Ethanolic fruit and leaf extracts of Myristica fragrans (Nutmeg) and Ficus religiosa (Pipal) were used for preparing the cream. Three creams namely, F1 (Myristica fragrans), F2 (Ficus religiosa) and F3 i.e. combination of Myristica fragrans and Ficus religiosa, were prepared. F3 shows greater zone of inhibition against Propionibacterium acne, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus inhibition (24.60 mm, 21.66 mm and 23.66 mm respectively), as compared to F1 (22.33 mm, 19.0 mm and 23 mm) and F2 (23.33 mm, 20 mm and 22.33 mm) respectively. In vitro diffusion study showed that percentage of drug release from F3 was greater than from F1 and F2. The results indicated that the herbal cream formulation F3, with combination of two plant extracts had acceptable properties.