The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Abstract
Topical methyl salicylate (MS) ointments or analgesic balms have long been used for treatment of minor skin irritations and muscle pains. The products generally contain 15- 50% w/w of MS in an appropriate ointment base. Their pain-relieving action is mainly a result of the counterirritant and rubefacient effects of MS and menthol contained in these preparations. This study attempted to modify the conventional MS ointment in order to enhance its efficacy by including some herbal ingredients with known antiinflammatory/antiedema activities in the formulation. Aescin, chamomile and aloe vera gel extracts were the three natural ingredients selected for inclusion. The modified formulations also contained a lesser amount of MS to reduce its counterirritant activity which may cause erythema. The new formulations were then subjected to the in vivo evaluation for their ability to suppress oxazolone-induced edema in the mouse ear. It was found that the gel preparation containing the three herbal ingredients was effective in reducting ear edema when compared to control (69 % reduction, p < 0.05). The effect was significantly greater than a commercial topical preparation which also contained aescin and another salicylate (69% vs 43%, p < 0.05). The result implied that the extra ingredients added, particularly chamomile and aloe vera gel extracts, could provide an enhanced anti-inflammatory effect upon combination with aescin and MS. On the other hand, the conventional MS product and the modified ointment containing the same herbal ingredients failed to produce a significant antiedema activity (only 12% and 4% reduction, p > 0.05). This could be due to differences in the vehicle composition which may affect drug release and penetration. More studies are needed to elucidate the role of the individual ingredients in inhibiting inflammation as well as to evaluate the stability of the modified products. However, this study demonstrated that it was possible to include the above three natural ingredients in the conventional MS preparation to enhance its therapeutic efficacy.
DOI
10.56808/3027-7922.3306
First Page
73
Last Page
80
Recommended Citation
Tengamnuay, Parkpoom; Janthasoot, Withaya; Rattanachaipipat, Veeraya; and Rattanachaipipat, Wallapa
(1995)
"Development of methyl salicylate preparations sontaining herbal extracts for relief of local skin inflammation. Formulation and in vivo evalauation of gel and ointment dosage forms in mice,"
The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences: Vol. 19:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56808/3027-7922.3306
Available at:
https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/tjps/vol19/iss2/1