DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES-LOADED PHYTOGEL OF HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF FICUS VIRENS BARK: FORMULATION, OPTIMIZATION, AND ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2025v17i6.56393Keywords:
Silver nanoparticles, Phytogel, Herbal extract, Antimicrobial activity, Topical formulation, Green synthesis, Optimization, Agar well diffusionAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to develop, optimize, and characterize a transdermal phytogel incorporating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) loaded with Ficus virens hydroalcoholic bark extract, using Carbopol 940 as the gelling agent, to enhance antimicrobial efficacy and formulation stability.
Methods: This research involved the preparation of phytogel formulations by systematically varying the concentrations of Carbopol 940 and silver nanoparticles combined with hydroalcoholic Ficus virens bark extract (FV-BE). A Central composite design (CCD) was employed to optimize the formulations and evaluate the influence of independent factors on key formulation attributes. Comprehensive physicochemical evaluations, including measurements of pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, drug content, entrapment efficiency, and stability, are conducted to ensure suitability for topical application. The nanoparticulate system was described via zeta potential, particle size, and polydispersity index (PDI) study. To further understand the release mechanisms, in vitro drug release and kinetic modeling were performed. The agar well diffusion method was used to evaluate the antibacterial activity against Aspergillus niger, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli.
Results: The optimized formulation (F7) containing 0.75% w/w Carbopol 940 and 0.02% w/w AgNPs with FV-BE exhibited desirable physicochemical properties, including suitable viscosity (5517±1.2 cps), spreadability (12.75±1.67 g. cm/s), pH (6.64±0.097), high entrapment efficiency (90.23±0.37%), and drug content (92.95%±1.12%). The average particle size was 259.5 nm with a PDI of 0.280, and the zeta potential was -26.5 mV, indicating moderate colloidal stability. In vitro drug release studies revealed a complete diffusion-controlled release over 24 h, fitting the Korsmeyer-Peppas model with a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. The phytogel formulation demonstrated notable antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Aspergillus niger, with inhibition zones comparable to standard antibiotics. Stability studies confirmed the formulation's robustness under various storage conditions over three months.
Conclusion: The developed phytogel incorporating FV-BE and AgNPs is a promising nanocarrier-based system for effective topical antimicrobial therapy. Further in vivo and clinical validations are warranted to advance its therapeutic application.
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