Formulation and Evaluation of Polyherbal Gel Comprising Rubia Cordifolia, Acalypha Indica and Musa Paradisiaca for Diabetic Wound Healing

Abstract

Delayed cutaneous repair remains a major complication of diabetes mellitus, driven by chronic hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress and impaired angiogenesis. The present study was undertaken to formulate and evaluate a topical polyherbal gel incorporating aqueous extracts of Rubia cordifolia (root), Musa paradisiaca (fruit peel) and Acalypha indica (leaf) for diabetic wound management. Authenticated plant powders were extracted by cold maceration, screened for phytoconstituents, and incorporated into a Carbopol 940-based hydrogel base to yield five formulations (F1-F5). The gels were evaluated for organoleptic properties, pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability and drug content, and were characterized by FTIR and UV-Visible spectroscopy; antioxidant activity was assessed by the DPPH assay. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides and triterpenoids. FTIR spectra showed characteristic O-H, C=O, C=C and C-O-C absorptions, and the gel exhibited UV absorption maxima at 271, 315 and 428 nm corresponding to combined phenolic, flavonoid and anthraquinone chromophores. Formulation F3 showed the most favourable pH (6.52), viscosity (38,600 cP), spreadability (18.8 g.cm/s) and drug content (98.8%), together with the strongest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 21.3 microg/mL), comparable to ascorbic acid (IC50 = 15.8 microg/mL). The optimised gel remained stable over three months of accelerated storage. These findings indicate that the developed polyherbal gel possesses suitable physicochemical characteristics and pronounced antioxidant activity, supporting its further evaluation as a topical candidate for diabetic wound healing.