Anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects of cream containing Curcuma mangga extract

Curcuma mangga Valeton & Van Zijp. (Zingiberaceae family) contains curcuminoids and diterpenes which have anti-inflammatory effect. In traditional use, the elixir of this plant has been used to detoxify the poisonous plants, treatment of gastric ulcer, chest pain, fever, skin disease and womb healing. This plant has also been reported for anti-inflammation in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema.

This study is aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects of cream containing C. mangga in the formulation as well as physical and chemical stabilities.

Three cream base formulas were evaluated for color, smell, pH values, viscosity and separation. The most stable cream base was chosen to mix with 2-10% of C. mangga extract. After that, the physical, chemical and biological properties of C. mangga cream before and after heating-cooling were evaluated.

The results showed that C. mangga cream exhibited good consistency, a pH range of acid value (5.0-6.0) and the cream was stable. Cream containing 10% w/w C. mangga inhibited inflammation before and after accelerating conditions with IC₅₀ values of 34.1 and 37.9 μg/ml which were better than 5% (IC₅₀ = 42.9, 44.7 μg/ml) and 2% (IC₅₀ = 49.1, 49.6 μg/ml), respectively. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of cream containing C. mangga was found to be better than diclofenac gel (IC₅₀ = 54.3 μg/ml). Cream containing C. mangga before and after heating-cooling test at 1 and 3 μg/ml enhanced HDF viability of over 100%, while cream containing 5% w/w C. mangga before and after heating-cooling test enhanced migration of HDF cells at 36 h up to 75-80%. The curcuminoids which are curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin showed good chemical stability after heating-cooling test by using HPLC with the relative peak area % at 10:75:15, respectively.

This study concluded that the development of cream containing C. mangga could reduce inflammation and heal the wound.