Development and Evaluation of Herbal Anti-Psoriatic Cream by Using Boswellic Acid, Curcumin and Aloe Vera Gel

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease characterized by rapid skin cell growth, inflammation, erythema, scaling, and itching. Conventional therapies often cause side effects, creating a need for safer herbal alternatives. Boswellia serrata (Boswellic acid), Curcuma longa (Curcumin), and Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera gel) possess well-established anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound-healing, antioxidant, and skin-soothing properties beneficial in psoriasis management. Boswellia serrata bark and Curcuma longa rhizomes were extracted by Soxhlet extraction using ethanol. Aloe vera gel was collected from fresh leaves. Formulation: Three oil-in-water (O/W) cream formulations—labeled F1, F2, and F3—were developed using the fusion method. The key variation among these formulations was the concentration of active ingredients: boswellic acid ranged from 0.25g to 0.75g, curcumin also varied between 0.25g to 0.75g, while aloe vera gel remained constant at 5g across all three. The base formulation included standard excipients: stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, liquid paraffin, triethanolamine, glycerin, methyl paraben, and propyl paraben. Antimicrobial: Among all the formulations tested, F3 demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial activity, producing the largest inhibition zones against every bacterial strain. The measurements were: 18 ± 0.3 mm for Staphylococcus aureus, 16 ± 0.4 mm for Escherichia coli, and 15 ± 0.5 mm for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Anti-inflammatory: The percentage inhibition of protein denaturation increased with higher doses, showing a clear dose-dependent relationship. F1 produced low anti-inflammatory activity at 62.4 ± 0.5%, F2 demonstrated significant inhibition at 74.8 ± 0.4%, and F3 achieved the highest effect at 86.2 ± 0.3%. Importantly, F3's anti-inflammatory potency was equivalent to that of conventional standard anti-inflammatory medications.