Formulation Development and Physicochemical Analysis of a Herbal Cream Containing Extract of Tridax Procumbens (Jayanti)

Introduction: The use of herbs in medicine, tracing back to ancient cultures, reflects a rich history of discerning beneficial uses from plants through trial and error. Standardising herbal medicines involves establishing criteria for inherent characteristics, consistent parameters and qualitative and quantitative values to ensure quality, efficacy, safety and reproducibility. Tridax procumbens, known as Jayanti in Sanskrit, exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, making it a potential agent for wound healing. This herbal cream consists of a single herbal component. This simplifies the formulation, physicochemical analysis, and development processes while ensuring quality. Existing literature indicates the topical use of T. procumbens for wound healing. Aim: To formulate, develop, and evaluate the physicochemical properties of a cream containing Jayanti (T. procumbens) intended for topical wound healing applications. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental laboratorybased pharmaceutical formulation study conducted at Dattatray Ayurveda Rasashala, Mahatma Gandhi Ayurvedic College Hospital and Research Centre, Wardha, Maharashtra, India, from July 2023 to July 2024. Raw drugs and materials were sourced from the local market. The cream development process began with the preparation of ghee according to the classical method of Ayurveda. The cream formulation was then developed using base ingredients commonly found in modern cosmetics. Four batches were prepared for formulation. Organoleptic parameters such as colour, odour, and texture, along with physicochemical parameters including loss on drying, pH, spreadability, rancidity, iodine value, peroxide value, and microbiological contamination, were evaluated. Results: The study developed and assessed a herbal cream with satisfactory physicochemical properties. The results showed a loss on drying of 1.12%, a pH of 5.3, a spreadability test result of 1.3 gm/sec, the absence of rancidity, an iodine value of 18.78, a peroxide value of 7.99, and a negative microbiological contamination test. Conclusion: The herbal cream meets all evaluation criteria and demonstrates acceptable physicochemical characterisation and formulation stability. The cream shows promise as a potential wound-healing formulation, attributable to its safe, effective and non toxic herbal composition.