IN SILICO-GUIDED DEVELOPMENT OF CINNAMOMUM VERUM EXTRACT-LOADED TRANSDERMAL PATCHES FOR POSTPRANDIAL HYPERGLYCEMIA: PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, FTIR/RP-HPLC VALIDATION, MULTI-TARGET MOLECULAR DOCKING AGAINST α-Glucosidase/α-Amylase/MMP-8, AND PROTOX3.0 TOXICITY ASSESSMENT

Postprandial hyperglycemia remains a significant challenge in the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), largely due to the drawbacks associated with conventional oral antihyperglycemic therapies. The present study focuses on the development of a transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) incorporating cinnamon extract to bypass hepatic first-pass metabolism and provide prolonged therapeutic action. The major phytoconstituents, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, were evaluated using SwissADME and ProTox 3.0, which confirmed their compliance with Lipinski’s rule of five along with a favorable GHS Class IV toxicity profile. Multi-target molecular docking studies demonstrated notable binding affinities toward MMP-8 (-8.1 kcal/mol), α-glucosidase (-7.1 kcal/mol), and α-amylase (-6.1 kcal/mol). Matrix-type transdermal patches prepared by the solvent casting method using an HPMC K100 and PVP K30 polymeric blend exhibited satisfactory flexibility and structural integrity. FTIR analysis verified the stability of the active phytomarkers, especially the aldehyde C=O stretching peak observed at 1668.527 cm⁻¹. Furthermore, the validated RP-HPLC method enabled precise quantification and consistent chromatographic behavior of the formulation. Overall, the developed cinnamon extract-loaded transdermal patches represent a promising, non-invasive, and efficient strategy for sustained glycemic control.