Abstract

FORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COPPER NANOPARTICLES CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA

Md Arsalan Shakil*, Mukesh Kumar Patel, B. K. Dubey, Deepak Kumar Basedia, Prabhat Kumar Jain and Sunil Shah

ABSTRACT

This study explores the formulation and characterization of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) incorporated into Calotropis gigantea extract-based gel for antimicrobial applications. The hydroalcoholic extract of Calotropis gigantea was subjected to phytochemical screening, revealing bioactive compounds such as glycosides, flavonoids, phenols, proteins, saponins, and tannins, known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. The extract was found to be free from alkaloids and psychoactive compounds, with high antioxidant potential as evidenced by total flavonoid and phenol contents of 0.532mg/100mg and 0.701mg/100mg, respectively. Copper nanoparticles were synthesized and incorporated into gel formulations (F1 to F6), with F3 showing the highest yield (79.98 ± 0.15%) and entrapment efficiency (0.525 ± 0.020 mg/100mg flavonoids). The gels exhibited good homogeneity, smooth texture, and favorable extrudability, with F1 having the best spreadability (12.56 ± 1.25 g/cm/sec). Drug release studies showed that formulation F2 demonstrated a sustained release profile, with 99.02% of the drug released over 4 hours, following a zero-order kinetic model (R² = 0.9834). In vitro antimicrobial testing against Bacillus subtilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae revealed dose-dependent antimicrobial activity, with the copper nanoparticle gel (F2) showing superior effects. This study highlights the promising antimicrobial potential of Calotropis gigantea extract and copper nanoparticle-based gels, especially formulation F2, which exhibited optimal drug release and antimicrobial activity, positioning it as a strong candidate for future clinical applications.

Keywords: Calotropis gigantea, phytochemical screening, flavonoids, phenols, copper nanoparticles, gel formulations, drug release, zero-order kinetics, antimicrobial activity.