A Review on: the most recent developments concerning anti-fungal and antimicrobial uses of emulgel based on curcumin

Abstract

The efficacy of emulgel formulations in combating fungal and bacterial infections is being significantly enhanced by the introduction of curcumins, which are new emulgel derivatives. Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, exhibits strong antimicrobial properties, but its limited clinical use is due to its low solubility and bioavailability. By developing curcumin into emulsions, especially when combined with nanotechnology, we can address these issues and open a wide range of clinical possibilities.One notable advancement is the incorporation of curcumin into Carbopol gels nanostructured lipid carriers emulsions. It showed greater antimicrobial and antifungal activity against bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, salmonella spp., staphylococcus epidermidis, and the fungal strain candida albicans. The NLC with curcumin showed a significantly lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) compared to the NLC without curcumin, suggesting a higher potency.A novel approach involves creating a gel that contains curcumin and is formulated to be applied topically for transdermal delivery. This formulation showed better effectiveness against fungi and improved skin absorption compared to conventional treatments, while also maintaining its stability. The nanoemulsion gel demonstrated superior activity against candida albicans compared to the antifungal gels currently available in the market. The addition of turmeric extract and neem to a nanoemulsion formulation showcased their combined effectiveness in combating microbial infections. This formulation demonstrated an impressive zone of inhibition against various pathogens, highlighting its potential as an effective topical antimicrobial agent. These findings support the notion that curcumin emulgel have significant potential as topical agents for treating infections caused by microbes. The use of nanotechnology, however, signifies improved bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of curcumin, thus leading to prospective applications in the treatment of infections with antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties.