Phytochemical Screening and Development of a Polyherbal Antimicrobial Cream Containing Adhatoda vasica, Bacopa monnieri and Cascabela thevetia

Background: Herbal formulations have gained considerable attention as alternative antimicrobial agents due to their safety, efficacy, and reduced side effects. The present study aimed to perform phytochemical screening of selected medicinal plants and formulate and evaluate a polyherbal antimicrobial cream containing Adhatoda vasica, Bacopa monnieri, and Cascabela thevetia.
Methods: Ethanolic extracts of the selected plants were subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening. Four cream formulations (F1–F4) were prepared using the oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion method and evaluated for physicochemical parameters, including appearance, homogeneity, pH, viscosity, drug content, microbial growth, irritancy, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, and stability.
Results: Phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenolics, terpenoids, saponins, and glycosides. All formulations exhibited acceptable physicochemical properties with pH values ranging from 5.8 to 6.3. Among the formulations, F3 showed the highest viscosity (29500 cP) and drug content (98.1%). F3 demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (15.6 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.9 mm), and Staphylococcus aureus (16.8 mm), as well as antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger (14.7 mm), Macrophomina phaseolina (15.3 mm), and Fusarium species (14.9 mm). Stability studies showed no significant changes over three months.
Conclusion: The optimized formulation F3 exhibited satisfactory physicochemical properties, significant antimicrobial activity, and good stability. The study suggests that the formulated polyherbal cream has potential as a safe and effective topical antimicrobial preparation.