Vol. 2 (2) Apr Jun 2011 www.ijrpbsonline.

com 691
International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

ISSN: 2229-3701
______________________________________________________________________Research Paper
Formulation and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Medicated J elly
with Ajowan Extract
Deborah Evangeline.D*, Bhavani Shankar.R
1
, Bharath Kumar.A
2,
Ramesh Kumar Reddy.Y
2
.
*Department of Pharmaceutics, Cherranns College of Pharmacy, Coimbatoer-39.
1. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Cherranns College of Pharmacy,
Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
2. Department of Pharmaceutics, Cherranns College of Pharmacy, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
___________________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT:
Medicated jelly with Ajowan extract was formulated using polymers like sodium alginate and tragacanth. The
jellies were evaluated for their physiochemical parameters like pH, spreadability and stability studies. The
antimicrobial activities of the gels were also carried out. Formulations using sodium alginate shows desired
properties and significant antimicrobial activity.

Keywords: Ajowan extract, sodium alginate, tragacanth, physiochemical parameters, antimicrobial activity.

Introduction:

Jellies are transparent, opaque, nongreasy
semisolid gels generally applied externally. They
are used for medication, lubrication and some
miscellaneous application. gelling agent used
normally are tragacanth, sodium alginate,pectin,
starch, gelatin, cellouse derivative like HPMC,
SCMC, MC, carbomer,pvp
(1)
.
Preparations containing gelling agent that
merges or entangles to form a three- dimensional
colloidal network structure. Medicated jellies are
chiefly used on mucus membrane and skin for their
spermicidal, local anesthetic and antiseptic
properties
(2)
.Skin injuries, local infections and
tissue cleansing can be best treated by application
of product that formtransparent water vapour and
air permeable film over the skin surface from
which the drug releases continuously from the
application site.
Ajowan is the dried ripe seed of Trachysperum
ammi (L), Sprague, belonging to the family
Apiaceae (3).It has an agreeable taste and an
aromatic odour.
(2)
It is valued for its antiseptic,
antispasmodic, stimulant, tonic and carminative
properties. It is also effective in treating sore throat,
bronchitis, diarrhea and Cholera
(3)
.Therefore, the
present study was carried out to formulate a
medicated jelly with ajowan extract by using
different gelling agents like sodiumalginate and
tragcanth in various in various proportions.
_______________________________________
*Address for correspondence:
E-mail: georgeevangeline@gmail.com




The jellies thus prepared were evaluated for their
appearance ,pH,spreadability,antimicrobial activity
and also for its stability studies.

Materials & Methods:

Plant material:
Ajowan (Yucca) were collected from the
Central stores of Cherraans College of Pharmacy,
Coimbatore.

Chemicals:
Sodiumalginate and Tragacanth were
purchased from Hipure chemicals and Muller
Hinton agar medium and Sabourands Dextrose
agar medium from Himedia.All other chemicals
used were of analytical grade and used as procured.

Methods:

Preparation of Ajowan extract:
Ajowan was boiled with water for period of 15
minutes. Then the liquid extract was collected.

Formulation of Jellies:
All the formulations were prepared
using freshly boiled and cooled distilled water as
per the composition listed in Table 1.
Based on the appearance and consistency nature


Vol. 2 (2) Apr Jun 2011 www.ijrpbsonline.com 692
International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

ISSN: 2229-3701
of the formulation product, formulation 2 was
selected as an ideal formulation.
Ajowan extract was mixed with alcohol and
glycerin with small quantity of water prior to the
addition of the jelling agents. Mucilages were
prepared with jelling agents sodium alginate &
tracaganth.The extract mixture was added to the
mucilages & shaken well in order to get medicated
jelly.
(4)

Evaluation of formulated jellies:
Prepared Ajowan extract jellies were evaluated
for appearance, pH, spreadibility, stability and
antimicrobial activity. All the formulations were
visually inspected for clarity, colour, homogeneity,
presence of particles and fibers.

Appearance:
The Ajowan extract jellies having sodium
alginate was opaque in appearance whereas with
tragacanth it was milky white transparent in
appearance.

Determination of pH:
The pH values (Table 2) of 1% aqueous
solutions of the prepared jellies were checked by
using a calibrated digital pH meter (Elico India) at
constant temperature.

Spreadability
(5)
:
For the determination of spredability excess of
sample was applied in between two glass slides and
was compressed to uniformthickness by placing
1000 gmweight for 5 minutes. The time required
to separate the two slides i.e., the time in which
upper glass slide moves over the lower plate was
taken as measure of spredability(S)
(6)
.

Spredability:
S=ml/ t
Where; m=weight tide to upper slide,
l=length moved on glass slide,
t=time taken.
Stability studies:
All formulation prepared were kept for 3
months under roomtemperature for its stability and
for further studies. Data was given in table-2

Anti microbial activity:
Anti bacterial activity
(6)
:
Anti bacterial activity of the ideal formulated
jelly was conducted by standard agar disc diffusion
method. Muller Hinton agar mediumwas prepared
and sterilized as per standard procedure.
Inoculation of the selected bacterial culture was
done by spread plate technique. After 10 min hole
of about 4-5 mmin dmwere bored in the medium
with sterile borer and filled by test formulation a
standard containing gentatmycin (10mcg) disc and
a control to plate containing jelly without ajowan
extract was also prepared. After 18-24 hours of
incubation at 37
o
c, the diameter of one of
inhibition around each hole was measuredand the
values are given in table -3.

Anti fungal
(6)
:
Anti fungal activity of the formulated jelly was
studied by standard agar disc diffusion method
Sabourands dextrose agar mediumwas prepared
and sterilized as per standard procedure
Saccharomyces cerevsive and Candida albicans
fungal culture were inoculated in the agar plates by
spreading, A holes of about 4-5 mm was filled by
test formulation a standard containing mystain and
control plate containing jelly without ajowan were
also prepared all the plate were kept under aseptic
condition for 2-3 days at room tempature.the
diameter of 20mcg inhibition around each hole
were observed
(7(I)(ii) )
and the values are given in
table -4.

Result and discussion:

Based on the physiochemical
Properties of sodium alginate was found to be a
suitable jelling agent for ajowan.The pH of all gels
formulation was found between 6.9 to 7.3 while
lies in normal pH range of skin
(7)
.
The ideal formulation exhibited anti bacterial
activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus
aureus, E.coli and Pseduomonas areuginosa
bacteria and medicated jelly was found to be more
sensitive against gram positive bacteria Bacillus
subtilis and less activity with gram negative E.coli
(8(I,II)
.
Anti fungal activity was also performed with
the fungal strains of Candida albicans and
Saccharomyces cerevisae, shows good activity.
Spreadability is the parameter which will help
in the uniformapplication of gels to the skin. A
good gels takes less time to spread and will have
high spreadability.The spreadability of formulation
gels was found to decrease with increase in
viscosity. The values for spreadability and pH were
listed in table-5

Conclusion

Medicated jelly with ajowan extract was
formulated using sodium alginate. Jelly with
sodium alginate shows good physiochemical
properties.The antimicrobial activity of this gel
formulation is comparable to standard.
The result suggests the feasibilility of medicated
jelly for hand sensitizer. However preclinical
studies of this formulation need to be done.

Vol. 2 (2) Apr Jun 2011 www.ijrpbsonline.com 693
International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

ISSN: 2229-3701
Table -1
FORMULATION OF JELLIES:
INGREDIENTS F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
J ELLING AGENT 25% 50% 45% 25% 50%
HERBAL MEDICINE 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
ALCOHOL 10% 10% 10% 10% 10%
GLYCERIN 15% 15% 15% 15% 15%
WATER QS QS QS QS QS
Table-2
Stability Studies:
s.no
STABILITY STUDIES IN DAYS
30 60 90
1. S S S
Table -3
ANTI BACTERIAL ACTIVITY:

s.no NAME OF THE STRANINS USED DIAMETER OF ZONE OF INHIBITION(in mm)*

J elly

EXTRACT STANDARD
GENTAMYCIN
DISC
1.

2.

3.

4.
Bacillus subtilis

Staphylococcus aureus

Escherichia coli

Pseduomonas areuginosa
32+0.2

26+0.3

22+0.2

25+0.2

27+0.3

21+0.2

18+0.3

22+0.4
44+0.1

34+0.3

28+0.2

36+0.2
* -Values are mean +S.D , n =3
Table -4
ANTI FUNGAL ACTIVITY:
s.no NAME OF THE STRANINS USED DIAMETER OF ZONE OF INHIBITION(in mm)*

J elly

EXTRACT STANDARD
GENTAMYCIN
DISC
1.
2.

Candidaalbicans

Saccharomyces cerevisae

26+0.1

28+0.2
21+0.3

24+0.2


31+0.1

33+0.2

* -Values are mean +S.D, n =3
Table -5
Determining pH and spreadability:
s.no Formulation pH* spreadability
1. Formulation -2 6.90.01 8.34
* -Values are mean +S.D, n =3











Vol. 2 (2) Apr Jun 2011 www.ijrpbsonline.com 694
International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

ISSN: 2229-3701
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