Formulation and Evaluation of the Microsponges Gel for an Anti Acne Agent for the Treatment of Acne

Acne is a common inflammatory skin disease that mainly affects the face, neck, chest and upper back. Treatment depends on severity. Erythromycin has bacteriostatic activity which inhibits the growth of bacteria. They mainly act by binding to the 50s subunits of bacteria, 70s r-RNA complex, and protein synthesis. Erythromycin is also used topically to treat acne. They are used to treat moderate to severe inflammatory acnes or acne that isn‟t getting better with other treatments. Erythromycin works to treat acne by reducing the amount of acne causing bacteria called “propionibacteria” acnes on the skin, it also lessens inflammation and redness. Erythromycin is easily inactivated by the gastric environment and produce gastric disturbances such as diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting. Erythromycin microsponges were prepared using quassi emulsion solvent diffusion method. Erythromycin microsponges were then incorporated into a Carbopol-940 gel prepared by hydrogel technique for release studies. The best formulation was found to be stable at room temperature for 3 months. Thus it was concluded that erythromycin can be formulated as microsponge gel that can release the drug upto 8hrs with reduced side effects.