Formulation, physicochemical evaluation, and in vitro release profile analysis of ergothioneine emulgels: Investigating the influence of diverse oil phases and gelling agents

¹ Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, RK University, Rajkot - 360020, Gujarat, India
² Department of Microbiology, School of Science, RK University, Rajkot - 360020, Gujarat, India

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published online: 21 January 2026

Abstract

Emulgels have shown great promise as a topical drug delivery system for the transport of hydrophobic drugs through the dermis. The present study aimed to develop ergothioneine in the form of an emulgel formulation. During the preparation of emulsions, stability issues were observed during both production and storage, which significantly affected the drug release profile. To address this, ergothioneine was incorporated into an emulgel system to improve stability. Ergothioneine is an anti-protozoal agent used in the treatment of certain protozoal infections, specific anaerobic bacterial strains, and infections of the gastrointestinal and genital tracts. It is also employed prophylactically to prevent infections that may occur after surgery. In this study, ergothioneine emulgels were formulated using three different oils mentha oil, liquid paraffin, and clove oil in combination with gelling agents such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), sodium alginate, and Carbopol 934. The developed formulations were assessed for various physicochemical parameters, including color, texture, solubility, homogeneity, consistency, swelling index, pH, and in-vitro drug release. Among all the formulations, F3 comprising liquid paraffin and Carbopol 934 exhibited superior drug-release performance compared to the other oil-polymer combinations.