Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to formulate tea tree oil into a nanoemulsion gel dosage form and evaluate its physical stability and antibacterial activity.Methods: Nanoemulsion gels were formulated with various concentrations of tea tree oil, namely, 5%, 7%, and 9%, using Tween-80 as a surfactantand propylene glycol as a cosurfactant. The tea tree oil nanoemulsion gels showed a stable physical appearance over 8 weeks of storage at lowtemperature (4±2°C) and room temperature (25±2°C), cycling test, and centrifugation test.Results: The best formula was nanoemulsion gel formulation 1 (F1), which contained 5% tea tree oil, due to its good stability, smaller globule size,and greater viscosity. The results for antibacterial activity, determined by in vitro study, showed that the tea tree oil nanoemulsion gels exhibitedantibacterial activity against Propionibacterium acnes through the formation of an inhibition zone.Conclusion: Higher concentrations of tea tree oil in nanoemulsion gels (5%, 7%, and 9%) showed greater mean inhibition zones (28.33±0.88 mm,30.33±0.33 mm, and 31.67±0.33 mm, respectively).
Highlights
Acne is a common dermatological disease caused by excessive secretion of sebum, which accumulates in the follicles so that the pores swell
Formulation of the tea tree oil nanoemulsion gels The nanoemulsion was prepared by dissolving Tween-80 in distilled water, and tea tree oil was added to the mixture with constant stirring at 500 rpm to form the coarse emulsion
Formulation of tea tree oil nanoemulsion gels The concentrations of tea tree oil that were used in the formulation were 5-10%, as commonly reported in literature [7,8], while the concentrations of Tween-80 and propylene glycol (2:1) used in the formulation were selected from the nanoemulsion regions based on the phase diagrams (Table 1)
Summary
Acne is a common dermatological disease caused by excessive secretion of sebum, which accumulates in the follicles so that the pores swell. Over the counter acne treatments containing tea tree oil from the plant Melaleuca alternifolia are widely available in today’s market, and it has been proven that they are a common choice for self-treating acne [2]. Tea tree oil is a natural ingredient used in antiacne products. This is an essential oil obtained from the leaves of M. alternifolia [3]. Tea tree oil contains more than 100 chemical compounds, especially monoterpenes and alcohol-bound sesquiterpenes [4]. The hydrophobic properties of tea tree oil cause solubility problems in water-based preparations
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