Formulation and Evaluation of a Topical Herbal Clay-Based Preparation Containing Cissus quadrangularis: Preliminary Physicochemical and Molecular Docking Evaluation

AbstractBackgroundFracture healing is a coordinated biological process involving inflammation, cellularproliferation, callus formation, ossification and subsequent remodeling. Although Cissusquadrangularis has a long history of traditional use in fracture management and hasdemonstrated osteogenic and anti-osteoclastogenic activities in experimental studies,development of a standardized topical dosage form remains comparatively limited.ObjectiveThe present study aimed to formulate and preliminarily evaluate a clay-based topical herbalpreparation containing ethanolic extract of Cissus quadrangularis and to explore the possiblemolecular interaction of selected phytoconstituents with a bone-remodeling-related proteintarget using molecular docking.MethodsThe stem material of C. quadrangularis was extracted using ethanol by Soxhlet extraction.The concentrated extract was incorporated into a 50-g clay-based topical preparationcontaining Multani mitti, kaolin, neem powder, psyllium husk and aloe vera gel. Theformulation was evaluated for appearance, homogeneity, pH, spreadability, washability,adherence and preliminary skin-irritancy characteristics. Selected phytoconstituents weresubjected to molecular docking using AutoDock Vina against the selected protein target3URF.ResultsExtraction of 100 g powdered plant material yielded 15 g of extract, corresponding to a 15%w/w yield. The formulated preparation was smooth and homogeneous and showed goodspreadability and adherence. The measured pH was 6.4. The formulation was moderatelywashable and showed no visible signs of irritation in the preliminary evaluation reported inthe study. Molecular docking showed binding scores ranging from −5.60 to −5.02 kcal/molamong several selected phytoconstituents, with trimethoxyflavone, a gallic acid derivative,taxifolin rhamnoside and dihydrokaempferol showing the most favorable scores.ConclusionThe developed C. quadrangularis-containing clay-based preparation demonstratedsatisfactory preliminary physicochemical characteristics suitable for further topicalformulation development. The docking findings provide a computational rationale forinvestigating interactions of C. quadrangularis phytoconstituents with bone-remodelingassociated molecular targets. However, the present findings do not establish clinical fracturehealing efficacy, and further standardized phytochemical characterization, skin-permeationstudies, in vitro osteogenic studies and appropriate in vivo fracture models are required.