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International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 13 Issue: 01 | Jan 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF WOUND HEALING CREAM IN CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA USING ANTI-MICROBIL ACTIVITY

Dr. K.L. Senthilkumar1, R. Aakash2, A. Aarthi3, G. Abinaya4

1*, Principal, Sri Vijay Vidyalaya College of Pharmacy, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu (India) 2, 3, 4, B. Pharm, Students, Sri Vijay Vidyalaya College of Pharmacy, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu (India)

ABSTRACT

Herbal cosmetics have gained significant attention due to their natural composition and minimal side effects. Among these, herbal creams are widely used for skin care, offering both therapeutic and protective benefits. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a herbal cream incorporating leaves of Calotropis gigantea. The cream was formulated as an oil-in-water emulsion to ensure stability and ease of application on the skin.

The formulation was evaluated for key physicochemical properties, including pH, spreadability, viscosity, and overall stability. Additionally, antimicrobial activity and skin irritation tests were conducted to assess the safety and therapeutic potential of the product. Topical application of the Calotropis gigantea cream in excision, incision, and dead space wound models resulted in enhanced wound contraction, increased wound breaking strength, and elevated hydroxyproline content, indicating improved collagen synthesis and accelerated tissue regeneration.

The findings suggest that the formulated Calotropis gigantea cream possesses significant wound healing potential along with antimicrobial activity, making it a promising herbal preparation for skin care and wound management.

KEY WORDS: Calotropis gigantea extract, shea butter, beeswax, cetostearyl alcohol, water, glycerine

INTRODUCTION

Woundhealingisacomplexanddynamicphysiologicalprocessthatinvolvesacoordinatedseriesofcellularandbiochemical eventstorestoretheintegrityofdamagedtissues.Thisprocessoccursindistinctphases,includinghemostasis,inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Impaired or delayed wound healing can result in chronic wounds, infections, and serious complications,highlightingtheimportanceofeffectivewoundmanagementinhealthcare.

Inrecentyears,therehasbeengrowinginterestinherbalmedicinesforwoundhealingduetotheirnaturalorigin,safety,costeffectiveness, and minimal side effects compared to conventional synthetic drugs. Medicinal plants have been traditionally usedfortreatingwoundsandskindisordersacrossvarioussystemsofmedicine.Amongthem, Calotropis gigantea,commonly known as Crown Flower or Milkweed, is a widely distributed tropical and subtropical plant with a long history of use in Ayurveda and folk medicine. Different parts of the plant, including leaves, latex, roots, and flowers, exhibit significant therapeuticpropertiesandhavebeentraditionallyemployedfortreatingwounds,ulcers,inflammation,andskininfections.

The wound healing potential of Calotropis gigantea is largely attributed to its diverse bioactive phytoconstituents, such as flavonoids,alkaloids,terpenoids,tannins,saponins,and glycosides.Itsantimicrobial activityhelpsprevent woundinfections, while its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties reduce pain and swelling. These combined actions accelerate tissue repair,enhancecollagenformation,andimprovethequalityofregeneratedtissue.

Therefore, the present study focuses on the formulation and evaluation of a herbal wound healing cream using Calotropis gigantea,aimingtodevelopasafe,effective,andaffordabletopicalpreparationforwoundmanagement.

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 13 Issue: 01 | Jan 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

WOUND HEALING

Woundhealinghasbeenanimportantaspectofmedicalpracticesinceancienttimes.Earlycivilizationsemployed variousnaturalsubstancessuchasplantextracts,animalfats,honey,oils,andresinstopromotehealingandpreventinfection inwounds. Historical recordsfromEgyptian,Greek,andIndiansystemsof medicinedescribe theuseofherbal preparations, poultices,andointmentsfortreatingcuts,burns,andulcers.InAyurveda,severalmedicinalplantsweretraditionallyused for their antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and tissue-regenerating properties in wound management. During the Middle Ages, woundcareprimarilyfocusedoncleansingandprotection,althoughscientificunderstandingwaslimited.Theintroductionof antisepticsinthe19thcenturymarkedasignificantadvancementinwoundtreatment.Thediscoveryofmicroorganismsand their role in infection by scientists such as Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister led to the use of disinfectants and sterile techniques,greatlyreducingwound-relatedcomplications.

Today, wound healing research integrates traditional knowledge with modern scientific approaches to develop effectiveformulationssuchascreams,gels,anddressings.Herbal-basedwoundhealingnuetogainimportanceasalternative orcomplementarytherapiesinclinicalpractice.

2.2TYPESOFWOUNDS

Woundsareclassifiedinvariouswaysdependingontheircause,depth,andhealingpattern.

❖ Openwounds

❖ Closedwounds

❖ Acutewounds

❖ Chronicwounds

MATERIALS AND METHOD

The selection of the medicinal plant Crown Flower (Calotropisgigantea) was based on its traditional use in wound healing, availability, and supporting scientific literature. The plant is known to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound healingproperties,whichmakeitsuitablefortopicalherbalformulations.

Figno01; CALOTROPISGIGANTEA

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 13 Issue: 01 | Jan 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Ingredients

➤Calotropisgigantealeafextract

➤ Beeswax

➤ Liquidparaffin/Coconutoil

➤ Emulsifyingwax

➤Glycerin

➤ Methylparaben

➤ Propylparaben

➤ Distilledwater

6.2Apparatus

➤ Roundbottomflask

➤ Heatingmantle

➤ Beaker

➤ Chinadish

➤ Glassrod

➤ Waterbath/Doubleboiler

➤ Measuringcylinder

➤ Weighingbalance

Procedure for Preparation of Wound Healing Cream

➤ Thecreamwaspreparedusingthedoubleboilermethod.

➤ Theoilphaseconsistingofbeeswax,liquidparaffin,andemulsifyingwaxwasmeltedtogetherinachinadishoverawater bath.

➤ Theaqueousphasewaspreparedseparatelybydissolvingglycerin,preservatives,anddistilledwaterandheatingittothe sametemperatureastheoilphase.

➤ Theaqueousphasewasslowlyaddedtotheoilphasewithcontinuousstirringtoformauniformemulsion.

➤ ThepreparedCalotropisgiganteaextractwasaddedslowlytotheformulationwithconstantstirring.

➤ Themixturewascontinuouslystirreduntilthecreamcooledandobtainedasmooth,homogeneousconsistency.

➤ Theprepared woundhealingcream wastransferredintoa suitablecontainerand storedatroomtemperatureforfurther evaluation

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 13 Issue: 01 | Jan 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

FORMULATION

1 DOUBLE BOILER METHOD:

➤ Meltingthebeeswax,neemoil,jasminoiloverlowheatinchinadishbydoubleboiler.

➤ Heatthedistilledwatertoalmostboiling,removefromheatandstirinthebakingsodainbeaker[36].

MIXING:

➤ Pourwaterphaseslowlyintooilyphasewhilemixingwithhandblender.

➤ Immediatelyturnwhitecoloremulsionformation.

ADD ACTIVE INGREDIENT:

➤ Immediatelyplacepaninanicewaterbathinthesink.

➤ Addcrownflower(Calotropisgigantea)extractslowlyandmixgentlyforwoundhealingformulation

FORMING THE CREAM:

➤ Mixoccasionallyuntilevenlyandcompletelycooled.

Table no 01: STORAGE: Placeintothejarlabeledwellandclosedjartightly.

EVALUATION

1. IrritancyStudy

An area of 1 sq.cm was marked on the left hand dorsal surface. The formulated wound healing cream containing Calotropisgigantea extract was applied to the specified area and the time was noted. Skin irritation tests are designed to differentiate between agents that produce minor and reversible inflammatory changes (minor irritants), those that induce severeinflammation(majorirritants),andthosethatcausemassivedestructionornecrosisofcutaneousstructures(corrosive agents).Theappliedareawasobservedforirritancy,erythemaandedema,ifany,atregularintervalsupto24hoursandthe resultswerereported.

2.PhysicalAppearance

Thephysicalappearanceofthewoundhealingcreamwasevaluatedbyobservingitscolour,odour,textureandroughness. Organolepticpropertiessuchasphysicalappearance,colour,texture,phaseseparation,homogeneityandimmediateskinfeel

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 13 Issue: 01 | Jan 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

of the formulated topical preparation were examined visually. The appearance of the cream was graded based on these parameters.

3.DeterminationofpH

The pH of the formulated wound healing cream was measured using a standard digital pH meter at room temperature. The pH meter wascalibratedusing standard buffer solutions ofknown pHvalues. For pHdetermination, 0.5 g ofcream was dissolvedin50mlofdistilledwaterandtheelectrodewasimmersedintothesampleuntilasteadyreadingwasobtained.The pHvaluewasrecorded.

4.Homogeneity

The formulated wound healing cream was tested for homogeneity by visual inspection and by touch. The cream was examinedforthepresence oflumps,grittinessorphaseseparation.Homogeneitywasconfirmedbyuniformappearanceand smoothtexture.

5.Spreadability

Anadequatequantityofwoundhealingcreamwasplacedbetweentwoglassslidesandaweightof100gwasappliedfor 5 minutes to obtain a uniform film. The ability of the cream to spread easily without producing excessive drag was noted. Spreadabilitywasdeterminedusingaspreadabilityapparatusconsistingoftwoglassslidesmountedonawoodenboardwith a pulleysystem.Excesssamplewasremovedanda weightof250g wasaddedto thepan.Thetime requiredtoseparatethe twoslideswasrecorded.

Spreadability was calculated using the formula:

S=m×l/t

Where,

m=weightappliedtoupperslide

l=lengthmovedontheglassslide

t=timetaken

6.StabilityTesting

Stabilitystudieswerecarriedoutbystoring50gofwoundhealingcreamat45°Candanother50gatroomtemperature. Thepurposeofstabilitytestingwastoevaluatetheeffectofenvironmentalfactorssuchastemperature,humidityandlight on the quality of the formulation. The samples were examined periodically for changes in colour, consistency, phase separation andanyvisualdisturbancesoveraperiodofonemonth.

7.Washability

Washabilityofthewoundhealingcreamwasdeterminedbyapplyingasmallquantityofcreamonthehandandwashing it with warm water without using soap. The ease of removal of the cream under running tap water was observed and recorded.

8.TestforMicrobialGrowth

Agarmediawaspreparedandtheformulatedwoundhealingcreamwasinoculatedontotheagarplatesusingthestreak platemethod.Acontrolplatewaspreparedbyomittingthecream.Theplateswere incubatedat37°Cfor24hours.Afterthe incubationperiod,theplateswereexaminedformicrobialgrowthandcomparedwiththecontrol.

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 13 Issue: 01 | Jan 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

9.DyeTest

Scarletreddyewasmixedwiththewoundhealingcream.Adropofthecreamwasplacedonamicroscopicslide,covered withacoverslipandexaminedunderamicroscope.Ifthedispersedglobulesappearedredandthegroundwascolourless,the creamwasconfirmedasoil-in-water(O/W)type.Thereverseconditionindicatedwater-in-oil(W/O)type.

10.Viscosity

TheviscosityofthewoundhealingcreamwasdeterminedusingaBrookfieldviscometer.Theviscositywasmeasuredat 100 rpm using a suitable spindle. The readings obtained indicated the flow properties and consistency of the formulated cream.

REPORT

The wound healing cream formulated with Calotropis gigantea extract was successfully prepared and evaluated. The formulation demonstrated effective wound healing activity by promoting tissue regeneration, epithelialization, and wound contraction. The cream exhibited good physicochemical properties, including stability, homogeneity, spreadability, and nonirritancy,makingitsuitable fortopicalapplication.Thebioactivecompoundsintheplantextractalsoprovided antimicrobial protection. Overall, the Calotropis gigantea cream is a safe and promising herbal alternative for managing wounds and skin infections.

CONCLUSION

The wound healing cream containing Calotropis gigantea (Crown flower) extract was successfully formulated and evaluated. The study demonstrated that the cream exhibited significant wound healing activity, with the plant extract and excipients provingtobesafe,effective,andsuitablefortopicalapplication

Basedonthestudyandliteratureonherbalwoundhealingagents,itcanbeconcludedthatnaturalformulationsarepreferable tosyntheticalternativesduetotheirsuperiorsafetyprofileandminimalsideeffects.Acommonlimitationofherbalproducts is variability in stability and bioavailability, which can be addressed by incorporating plant extracts into appropriate dosage forms,suchascreams.

Crown flower contains bioactive compounds that support wound contraction, epithelialization, and tissue regeneration. The formulated cream effectively maintained moisture at the wound site and offered protection against microbial infections, therebyenhancingthehealingprocess.

Foroptimal efficacy,wound healingcreamsmust remainstable, non-irritant, andcapableof promoting tissue repairoveran extended period. Considering these factors, the Calotropis gigantea wound healing cream developed in this study can be recommendedasasafe,effective,andpromisingherbalformulationformanagingwoundsandsupportingskinrecovery.

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