Studies on the antimicrobial properties of formulated creams and ointments containing Baphia nitida heartwood extract

Baphia nitida Lodd (camwood) is widely used medicinal plant in Nigeria for treatment of variety of skin infections. The plant is used in unspecified quantities without standardisation. B. nitida extracts were incorporated in some cream and ointment base in order to present the medicinal plant in an elegant and pharmaceutically acceptable dosage form, as one of the major steps in the scientific evaluation and standardisation of the plant product. The formulated products were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities using agar diffusion technique and microbial challenge test. Their performances were compared with those of standard antiseptic creams and ointments. The results of agar diffusion studies on cream and ointment formulations revealed that the topical bases used to disperse the medicaments could significantly affect the antimicrobial effectiveness of the formulation. Formulations prepared with Aqueous cream BP (a more hydrophilic base; 70% aqueous) exhibited greater antimicrobial activity than the formulation with anionic cream base (a less hydrophilic base; 44% aqueous). Antiseptic creams and ointments containing B. nitida extract, which were effective against various test organisms used in this study, were successful formulated in this work. Journal of Pharmacy & Bioresources Vol. 2(2) 2005: 124-13