FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF MINOXIDIL EMULGEL FOR ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA

Androgenic alopecia is the loss of hair, pertains on the scalp although on other body sites. Alopecia is characterized by round or oval patches of non scarring hair loss. Scalp hair loss can be partial or complete, but it progress to cause total body hair loss. Emulgel are emulsion gel which contains widely distributed oil droplets. Chemically, minoxidil is 2,4-pyrimidinediamine, 6-[1-piperidinyl]-,3-oxide. Minoxidil is antihypertensive drug; a powerful vasodialator which act by direct relaxation of arteriolar smooth muscle. An attempt was made to formulate minoxidil emulgel for the treatment of male pattern baldness with the use of different gelling agents i.e. carbopol 940, carbopol 934, xanthan gum, methyl cellulose. Infra red [IR] spectroscopy was performed to identify any physicochemical interaction between drug and carriers. The dissolution profile and various evaluation parameters viz. pH, spreadability, viscosity, drug content, etc. of emulgel formulation and marketed formulation were compared. Release kinetics by various models were studied and compared between final formulation and marketed formulation. Thus, results showed no interactions between drug and polymers. Thus, minoxidil emulgel was found to be feasible over other dosage form in the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Keywords: Androgenic alopecia, minoxidil, emulgel, FTIR, dissolution profiles.