Anti-Inflammatory Property Establishment of Fulvic Acid Transdermal Patch in Animal Model

The formulation of the transdermal patch with fulvic acid (FA) on an emulsion basis using pluronic Kolliphor® p237 as a permeability enhancer was developed and studied for anti-inflammatory properties. FA was isolated from the peat in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia and characterized as a potential active pharmaceutical ingredient. In vitro studies of the release of FA from the transdermal patch, as well as the FA penetration through the acetyl cellulose membrane using the Franz diffusion cell, showed its high efficiency (56% and 90%, respectively, in 8 h). In the in vivo experiment, qualitative and quantitative features of the rat knee caused by complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis (morphological changes, the FA influence on the biochemical indexes) were studied. The inflammatory process that developed within 15 days was accompanied by the activation of antioxidant oxidoreductase enzymes (by 50–70%), the increase in the cross-sectional diameter of the cartilage, and the increase in the values of marker indicators of the process of rheumatoid arthritis. Within 7 days of treatment, under the influence of FA, the values of ESR, RF, leukocytes, C-reactive protein, as well as the biochemical parameters characterizing oxidative stress (SOD, catalase, glutathione reductase, LDH, G6PD) normalized, and the edema reduced. These results may be useful for arthritis treatment using the transdermal patch with FA.