FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT CREAM BASED ON MARKHAMIA TOMENTOSA ETHANOLIC EXTRACT AND CITRUS SINENSIS OIL
IBILOLA MARY CARDOSO-DAODU*, FOLAYEMI PRINCESS FASUYI, OKONAWAN MAGARET ILOMUANYA, CHUKWUEMEKA PAUL AZUBUIKE
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy. University of Lagos, PMB 12003, Lagos, Nigeria.
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 14(1): 029-039 ; Jan – June 2022
ABSTRACT
Premature aging is a common problem that occurs globally due to continuous exposure to the sun and agents of oxidative stress like free radicals which are ubiquitous. This study aims to formulate an antioxidant cream based on Markhamia tomentosa ethanolic extract and Citrus sinensis oil. Seven cream formulations A1-A7 were prepared. Fusion technique was utilized in the formulation of the creams which were all water-in-oil emulsions. Formulations A1-A7 were characterized for pH, viscosity, organoleptic tests, spreadability, skin irritancy, antioxidant tests and centrifuge test. The pH of the formulations A1-A7 was found to be in the range of 6.3 to 7.9. It was found that the creams were smooth, homogenous and formed an easily spreadable non-greasy film on the skin surface with no irritation on dermal application. Formulation A7 had the highest spreadability 116.7 ± 0.93 mm2g-1 while formulation A2 had the lowest spreadability 92.9 ± 0.10 mm2g-1. At a concentration of 800 μg/mL the antioxidant activity of Markhamia tomentosa extract (75%) was close to that of Ascorbic acid (95%) which was the standard. Formulation A1 had the highest antioxidant activity while formulation A7 had the lowest due to the absence of M. tomentosa extract in its composition. All formulations passed the centrifuge test. A combination of the Markhamia tomentosa leaf extract and Citrus sinensis oil conferred a synergistic activity which led to potent antioxidant activity which is necessary for preventing oxidative stress and dermal photoaging. This herbal antioxidant formulation serves as a prototype that can be developed and translated to a marketable formulation for pharmaceutical application.
Email of correspondence: icardoso@unilag.edu.ng;
KEYWORDS: Aging; Oxidative; Stress; Formulation; Markhamia Tormentosa; Citrus senensis.