Formulation and Quality Assessment of Boswellia Vaginal Gel

Background and Objectives: Over the centuries, medicinal herbs have been used as major sources of medicine for prevention and treatment of diseases;. however, herbal drugs should be converted to new dosage forms for better acceptance and easier usage by patients. The present research has been performed to formulate a herbal gel for vaginitis based on Iranian traditional medicine. Methods: The extract of oleogumresin of Boswellia was obtained using propylene glycol: water. The gel was prepared using the extract (2% and 5%), carbomer 940 (0.5% and 1%), triethanolamine and distilled water. Further, the prepared gels were evaluated for physicochemical and microbial characteristics. Accelerated stability test was performed on the selected gel for six months. Results: The gel with 2% extract of Boswellia using propylene glycol: water 80:20 as the solvent and carbomer 1% was selected as the best one. The formulated gel was homogenous, white in color with acceptable physicochemical and microbial characteristics. Hexane soluble content and total acids as boswellic acid in the gel were found 0.25% and 8.7 mg/100 g, respectively. It was stable during centrifugation but it was unstable in temperature cycle test and stability test; therefore, it should be kept in cool place. Conclusion: The prepared gel contains volatile compounds with antimicrobial and antiinflammation activities; therefore, it could be an appropriate candidate for vaginitis.