Formulation and Antipyretic Evaluation of Papaya Root Extract (Carica papaya L.) Hydrogel Patch in Male Mice

Abstract

Papaya root (Carica papaya L.) has traditionally been used to manage fever, but its development as a standardized topical antipyretic preparation remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to formulate hydrogel patches containing 5%, 10%, and 12.5% ethanolic papaya root extract and evaluate their physicochemical characteristics and antipyretic activity in DPT-HB vaccine-induced febrile male mice. Twenty-five mice (Mus musculus L.) were randomly allocated to a negative control, a positive control, and three extract-patch groups (n = 5 each). Rectal temperature was measured before fever induction and at 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after treatment. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test. All formulations were homogeneous, semi-solid, brownish patches with pH values of 5.7–5.8 and viscosities of 176,000–236,000 cP. At 60 minutes, temperatures were 38.2°C in the negative control, 36.9°C in the positive control, 36.7°C in the 5% group, 36.9°C in the 10% group, and 36.6°C in the 12.5% group. Significant differences were found among groups (p = 0.033), and the 12.5% formulation showed the largest observed temperature reduction. Papaya root extract can therefore be incorporated into a hydrogel patch with acceptable physicochemical characteristics and preliminary antipyretic activity.