A Novel Abrus precatorius (Gunja) plant Seed Powder-Based Cosmeceutical Cream for Acne Management

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a widespread inflammatory disorder of the skin primarily associated with bacterial involvement. Medicinal plants have been utilized for centuries in traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Siddha, and Homeopathy. In recent years, plant-based therapies have gained substantial recognition for their promising role in managing acne as well as their growing significance in promoting overall human health and treating various diseases.Their usage continues to increase due to their perceived quality, efficacy, and safety. The present study focuses on the development of a novel cream formulation (oil-in-water type) containing a detoxified extract (Gunja shodhana) of Abrus precatorius seed. Two formulations were prepared: F1, which contained purified Abrus seed powder, and F2, which served as the control and did not include the seed powder. The cream was formulated using excipients such as purified Abrus seed powder, beeswax, xanthan gum, glycerin,  jojoba oil, vitamin E, and Euxyl PE 9010.The prepared creams were evaluated for various pharmaceutical parameters, including color, odor, consistency, stability, pH, phase separation, spreadability, washability, after-feel, irritancy, antimicrobial activity against the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, shelf life, and storage stability. Both formulations exhibited satisfactory results with an appealing white color, smooth consistency, pleasant odor, and semi-solid nature. The pH values of F1 and F2 were found to be 6 and 7, respectively, which are suitable for topical application. The spreadability of F1 and F2 was recorded as 14.25 g cm/s and 13.06 g cm/s, respectively. No phase separation was observed in either formulation, and both were easily washable with tap water. The after-feel evaluation indicated that the creams were non-irritating, non-greasy, and stable without any separation. Antimicrobial studies revealed that formulation F1 exhibited effective activity against S. aureus, whereas F2 showed no significant antibacterial effect.