Review on: Herbal Ointment

Abstract

Various areas where modern medicine is available, but the majority of the peoples in developing countries utilizes plants or plant preparations in their regular health care, many plant species have been proved to to possess antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects.A semisolid dose form, ointments often behave as visco-elastic materials under shear stress. Typically, they are given externally to the body to produce a therapeutic effect and include medicinal components.Natural medicines are also made in the form of ointments, along with various dosage forms. Numerous medicinal substances that are applied topically to mucous membranes or intact or injured skin are in semi-solid consistency and are referred to as ointments, creams, pastes, and so forth. It is mostly used to the skin as an emollient or protector.The purpose of this review is to present a summary of the creation and assessment of herbal ointments that contain herbal extract.Formulation, Quality Control and Standardization, Guidelines and Protocols for Quality and Marketed Herbal Ointments were studied.

Introduction

Overview:
Herbal medicine is the oldest documented form of treatment and remains the most widely used globally. Herbal ointments, known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound-healing, and analgesic properties, are commonly used for treating skin conditions like rashes, burns, wounds, infections, and joint or muscle pain.

1. Types and Benefits of Herbal Ointments:

• Types:

  • Medicated: Contain active ingredients for therapeutic purposes (e.g., Zinc oxide, Sulphur ointment).

  • Non-medicated: Used as carriers or for lubrication (e.g., White ointment).

• Advantages:

  • Targeted drug delivery with minimal side effects.

  • Avoid first-pass metabolism.

  • Suitable for unconscious patients.

  • Stable and easy to use for bitter drugs.

2. Ointment Bases:

• Oleaginous bases (e.g., petroleum jelly)

• Absorption bases (e.g., beeswax, wool fat)

• Emulsion bases (e.g., emulsifying ointment)

• Water-soluble bases (e.g., polyethylene glycol)

3. Formulation Techniques:

• Herb Selection: Based on desired medicinal outcome (e.g., Neem – antibacterial, Aloe Vera – skin healing).

• Extraction Methods:

  • Maceration: Soaking herbs in solvents.

  • Soxhlet extraction: Continuous solvent extraction for dried herbs.

  • Water extraction: Decoction or infusion for water-soluble components.

• Ointment Preparation Methods:

  • Direct Infusion: Infused oils mixed with beeswax.

  • Direct Addition: Use of essential oils or pre-made extracts.

  • Trituration: Fine herbal powders mixed into a base with levigating agents.

4. Influencing Factors:
Issues like improper herb collection, storage, tampering, or substitution of herbs affect quality and efficacy.

5. Quality Control & Standardization:

• Importance: Ensures safety, efficacy, batch consistency, and shelf life.

• Challenges:

  • Raw material variability.

  • Complex phytochemical makeup.

  • Lack of standard extraction methods.

  • Stability and microbial contamination issues.

• Protocols:

  • Raw material testing (DNA barcoding, TLC, GC-MS).

  • In-process checks (pH, consistency).

  • Finished product testing (spreadability, microbial counts).

  • Stability studies under ICH guidelines.

  • Standardization using marker compounds and GMP compliance.

6. Recent Advances:

• Commercial Products:

  • Jatyadi Ointment: Treats chronic wounds and eczema.

  • Calendula Ointment: For burns and dry skin.

  • Herbal Skin Doctor: For infections and psoriasis.

• Innovations:

  • Nanotechnology: Enhances delivery and stability (e.g., curcumin nanoemulsions).

  • Advanced Extraction: Green, efficient methods like ultrasound-assisted extraction.

  • Bioadhesive Polymers: Improve drug release and adhesion (e.g., chitosan).

  • Polyherbal Formulations: Synergistic plant combinations (e.g., neem, aloe vera, turmeric).

7. Future Perspective:
Further research, including clinical trials, is needed to validate traditional herbal ointments. Future efforts should focus on:

• Standardized formulations.

• Improved extraction and delivery systems.

• Integration of nanotechnology and biocompatible carriers.

• Cross-disciplinary collaboration (ethnobotany, pharmacology).

• Harmonizing global regulations to support international market access.

Conclusion

Herbal ointments capture both formal knowledge and current therapeutic capacity. The formulation is achieved through identifying suitable medicinal herbs, preparing the extract according to certain established and scientifically accepted extraction processes, delivering safety, stability and efficacy. The topical applications make use of bioactive phytochemicals, which are believed to harness healing power in their applications, with reported positive clinical outcomes associated with treating a range of skin ailments, and with minimal side effects. Herbal ointments have weaknesses to overcome, including potential variability in raw materials, lack-of standardized protocols of preparation, and risk of microbial contamination. There must be strict quality control measures as well as regulatory guidelines in order to manage these outcomes. Other findings, including advances in extraction technologies, nanotechnology based-delivery systems, and smart polymers will enable more innovative, potent and sustainable herbal ointment products. Future investigations are anticipated to support their mainstream into health care systems around the world clinical validation and initiatives which create a harmonization of standards internationally.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mr. Vinayak Devidas Jadhav, Mrs. Aishwarya Todkar , Mr. Nitin Gawai, Mr. Pavan Sayaji Sagare, Mr. Gaurav Jaywant Kenjale. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.