International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology
Volume 16, Issue 3, 2026

Development and Characterization of Transfersomal Gel Containing Caesalpinia sappan L. Extract for Enhanced Topical Antibacterial Delivery

Aisya Achsanian Hanif1, Iwan Setiawan2*, Ardy Prian Nirwana3

1Department of Phytopharmaceutical, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nasional, Surakarta, Indonesia

2*Department of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Technology, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nasional, Surakarta, Indonesia

3Department of Medical Laboratory Technology Program, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nasional, Surakarta, Indonesia

* Corresponding author: Iwan Setiawan, Email: iwan.setiawan02@stikesnas.ac.id
Received: 16th Dec, 2025; Revised: 8th Feb 2026; Accepted: 12th Feb, 2026; Available Online: 30th March, 2026

ABSTRACT

Transfersomes are ultra-deformable lipid vesicles that have shown great potential in enhancing transdermal drug delivery. Caesalpinia sappan L. is a medicinal plant rich in brazilin and phenolic compounds with proven antibacterial activity. Despite the potential, its topical efficacy is limited by poor skin penetration. Therefore, this study aims to develop a transfersomal gel containing C. sappan extract, evaluate the effect of Tween 80 concentration on vesicle characteristics, and assess its antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Transfersomes were prepared using the thin-film hydration method with varying Tween 80 concentrations and characterized for particle size and pH. The optimized transfersomal formulation was then incorporated into a carbopol-based gel and evaluated for physicochemical properties, stability, and antibacterial activity using the agar well diffusion method. The results showed that increasing Tween 80 concentration significantly reduced vesicle size (p < 0.05), with the smallest particles obtained at the highest surfactant concentration. Transfersomal gel demonstrated acceptable physicochemical characteristics and exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus compared to the negative control (p < 0.05). This study indicates that transfersomal gel is a promising delivery system to enhance topical antibacterial effectiveness of C. sappan extract.

Keywords: Transfersome, Caesalpinia sappan, antibacterial gel, drug delivery system, Tween 80.

How to cite this article: Hanif AA, Setiawan I, Nirwana AP. Development and Characterization of Transfersomal Gel Containing Caesalpinia sappan L. Extract for Enhanced Topical Antibacterial Delivery. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(3): 165-172. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.3.21

Source of support: Nil.

Conflict of interest: None