Formulation and Development of Oro-Topical Emulgel Containing Clotrimazole Using Turmeric (Curcuma longa) as an Adjuvant

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@article{1718797,
      author = {Mahi Patel, Madhuri Dubey},
      title = {Formulation and Development of Oro-Topical Emulgel Containing Clotrimazole Using Turmeric (Curcuma longa) as an Adjuvant},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {9},
      number = {12},
      pages = {924-935},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718797.pdf},
      abstract = {Oropharyngeal candidiasis remains a significant fungal infection affecting both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals, necessitating effective and patient-compliant topical drug delivery systems. The present study describes the formulation and development of an oro-topical emulgel incorporating clotrimazole (1% w/w) as the principal antifungal agent and turmeric extract (Curcuma longa) as a natural adjuvant, using Carbopol 934 as the gelling agent. Nine formulations (F1–F9) were prepared by systematically varying the concentrations of Carbopol 934 (0.5–1.5%), turmeric extract (0.5–2.5%), and liquid paraffin (5–10%) while maintaining fixed concentrations of Span 80, Tween 80, propylene glycol, and preservatives. The formulations were evaluated for physical appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, drug content uniformity, in-vitro drug release, and stability under ICH guidelines. Preformulation studies confirmed the purity, physicochemical properties, and compatibility of clotrimazole with selected excipients through FTIR spectroscopy, melting point determination, and solubility analysis. All formulations exhibited a yellowish, homogeneous appearance with no phase separation. The optimized formulation F5 demonstrated a pH of 6.38±0.02, viscosity of 10,120±110 cps, spreadability of 6.05±0.09 g·cm/sec, drug content of 96.5±0.5%, and maximum cumulative drug release of 94.6±1.0% over 8 hours. Stability studies confirmed that F5 retained its physicochemical integrity over 90 days under accelerated conditions. The results suggest that the developed emulgel system represents a promising, effective, and biocompatible oro-topical delivery platform for the treatment of oral fungal infections.},
      keywords = {Emulgel, Clotrimazole, Curcuma Longa, Turmeric, Oro-Topical, Carbopol 934, Antifungal, Drug Delivery, Mucoadhesive, In-Vitro Release},
      month = {June},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1718797}
  }