PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTIFUNGAL PROPERTY OF A POLYHERBAL FORMULATION CONTAINING ACHYRANTHES ASPERA AND PLECTRANTHUS AMBOENICUS

Research in complementary therapies and alternative medicines is increasing and formulating therapeutic medicines based on these findings has become the need of the hour. The present research aims to formulate and evaluate a polyherbal gel containing Achyranthes aspera and Plectranthus amboenicusextract. The formulation was designed by using alcoholic as well as aqueous extract of Achyranthes aspera and Plectranthus amboenicus leaves in varied concentrations. The extracts were subjected to various physicochemical evaluations.  The gel was prepared by using a suitable gelling agent- Carbopol 934.  The polyherbal formulation was evaluated for its antifungal activity and it was found that the formulation have elicited promising antifungal activity which was comparable with that of standard drug (fluconazole). However the activity was found to be due to the synergestic blend of herbal drugs. The polyherbal formulation exhibits a promising topical gel for fungal infections of the skin. Thus the present study demonstrates an immense scope for development of such polyherbal formulations and also explores the vast potential to further carry out research by exploiting synergistic effect in herbal extracts.