European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF TOPICAL GEL FORMULATION CONTAINING MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE FOR CELLULITIS MANAGEMENT

Shobitha Naveen K.*, Parthasarathi K. Kulkarni, Tanuja A. J., Venkatesh, Hanumanthachar Joshi

ABSTRACT

This research aimed to develop and evaluate topical gel formulations of magnesium chloride for the management of cellulitis, focusing on optimizing drug delivery through the use of the gelling agent hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). The study commenced with comprehensive pre-formulation investigations, including organoleptic assessment, solubility profiling, and determination of the absorption maxima for magnesium chloride. Five gel formulations with varying HPMC concentrations were prepared using the cold mechanical method, with consistent drug levels across batches. The prepared gels were systematically characterized for physical appearance, pH, viscosity, spread ability, drug content uniformity, swelling index, antimicrobial efficacy, in vitro drug release, and stability. Experimental results revealed that increasing HPMC concentration produced gels with greater viscosity and reduced spread ability, with formulation F3 (3% HPMC) achieving an optimal balance for topical application. All formulations exhibited homogeneity, stability, and no phase separation. F3 demonstrated uniform drug distribution (97.6%), excellent swelling behaviour, and significant in vitro antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, exhibiting the largest zone of inhibition. Drug release studies illustrated a sustained release profile, with F3 achieving the highest cumulative release (95%) over 5 hours, following zero-order kinetic behaviour. Stability studies confirmed that F3 maintained physical integrity, pH, viscosity, drug content, and release characteristics over a storage period. The findings underscore the pivotal role of HPMC as a gelling agent in modulating gel viscosity, drug release, and therapeutic performance. Formulation F3 was identified as the most promising candidate, providing robust physical stability, effective sustained drug release, and antimicrobial action. These results support the potential of HPMC-based magnesium chloride gel as an efficient topical delivery system, with meaningful implications for future clinical development and transdermal magnesium supplementation.

Keywords: Magnesium chloride, Topical delivery, HPMC, Drug release.