Formulation and antimicrobial evaluation of a Solanum torvum-based herbal foot crack cream for the management of heel fissures

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the antibacterial and antifungal properties of an herbal foot crack cream formulated from the hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Solanum torvum, a plant long used in ethnomedicine. The hydroalcoholic extract was prepared using hydroalcoholic extraction and incorporated into a topical cream base. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the cream contained flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and saponins, which are known to confer antimicrobial activity. The effectiveness of the cream was assessed using agar well diffusion against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive), Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), and Candida albicans (fungus), with gentamicin as the standard for antibacterial activity and amphotericin B as the standard for antifungal activity. The results of our study revealed that among the three formulations. Formulation F2 showed the highest antibacterial potential, with clear zones of inhibition of 18.05±1.20 mm and 16.1±0.28 mm against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, at 500 µg/mL. Further, the formulation F2 demonstrated significant antifungal activity, with a zone of inhibition of 15.5±0.56mm compared to the standard Amphotericin B (25.65±2.19 mm) against Candida albicans. The findings suggest that an herbal formulation based on S. torvum could be a promising, natural, and cost-effective candidate for an efficacy study of heel fissures and associated skin infections.