Formulation and evaluation of emulgel for topical delivery of dexibuprofen

An emulgel formulation was developed for a topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent using carbopol as the gelling agent. The effect of concentrations of oil, surfactant and gelling agent on the in-vitro drug release pattern was investigated using 2³ factorial design. The optimized emulgel formulations were characterized for appearance, color, pH, homogeneity, viscosity and spreadability. The in-vitro release profile drug from the emulgel formulation was strongly affected by the concentration of gelling agent, surfactants and oil. Stability studies were conducted at different temperatures and humidity conditions that indicated the formulations to be stable under accelerated conditions. No erythema or irritation was observed during the skin irritation studies on rabbits. Optimized formulation showed comparable analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity when they compared with marketed Nurofen gel. So, it can be concluded that topical emulgel of dexibuprofen posses an effective anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.