Developing transdermal patch from Momordica charantia L. fruit using polyvinyl alcohol and ethyl cellulose potentially as anti-inflammatory dosage form

Introduction: Anti-inflammatory medication is currently sufficiently developed for the ease of application and effectiveness of therapy. Development of natural ingredients that are applied through the skin is needed to get a profitable product. This study aimed to develop bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) fruit as an anti-inflammatory agent using transdermal patch preparations. Materials and Methods: Dried bitter melon powder was macerated using 96% ethanol, followed by evaporation until a viscous extract was obtained. Bitter melon fruit extract (BMFE) 30% was prepared into three patch transdermal preparations using combinations of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ethyl cellulose (EC) as bases. A mixture of BMFE, propylene glycol, and glycerin was added to the bases and mixed until homogeneous. The entire mass was poured into a mold, coated with aluminum foil, allowed to stand for 24 h, and dried in an oven at 40 °C for 30 min. All preparations of the transdermal patch were evaluated for their physical and chemical characteristics as well as their anti-inflammatory effects Results: All transdermal patch preparations had solid form, visible brown, weight 0.424 -0.432 g, thickness 0.344 – 0.320 mm, folding endurance of more than 300, pH 4.84 – 4.87, and hygroscopicity 6.50 - 6.99 %. All preparations showed a decrease in the diameter of the edema, but this was not significant; after the 90th minute, the edema diameter was significantly reduced. Conclusion: This study showed that BMFE can be used for anti-inflammatory patch preparation and has the potential to be developed as a transdermal anti-inflammatory dosage form.