ABSTRACT:
The present work aimed to formulate and evaluate a topical herbal hydrogel with methanolic extracts of Curcuma longa and Piper nigrum. The extracts were prepared using maceration with methanol followed by phytochemical screening and incorporated into hydrogel bases prepared with sodium alginate, chitosan, Carbopol 934, or HPMC K100M. FTIR analysis revealed compatibility between the extracts and excipients, and the prepared formulations were evaluated for appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, swelling index, extrudability, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, and antibacterial activity. The formulations remained physically stable and showed skin-compatible pH values between 6.21 and 6.51. Among all batches, F9 demonstrated the most favourable performance, with the highest swelling index, antioxidant activity (78.5%), anti-inflammatory activity (74.2%), and appreciable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These findings suggest that the optimized polyherbal hydrogel may serve as a promising topical delivery system for localized management of skin-related inflammatory and microbial conditions..