ISSN 2278- 4136 ZDB-Number: 2668735-5 IC Journal No: 8192 Volume 1 Issue 5 Online Available at www.phytojournal.com Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry Vol. 1 No. 5 2013 www.phytojournal.com Page | 80 Formulation and Evaluation of a Novel Herbal Gel of Equisetum arvense Extract Semwal Amit 1* , Bhatt Saraswati 1 , Upereti Kamalesh 1 , Upadhyaya Kumud 1 1. Gyani Inder Singh Institute of Professional Studies, Rajpur, Dehradun, India [E-mail:semwal_amit@rediffmail.com] Equisetum arvense have a great medicinal value for its wound and burn healing properties. Traditionally the plant is used by local people and Ayurvedic physicians mainly for its burn healing properties. The methanolic extract of Equisetum arvense was obtained by Soxhlet extraction and then the herbal gel was prepared using the extract in different proportion and different ingredients. The gel was evaluated using the following parameters like appearance, pH, Spreadability, drug release, rheological proerties, extrudability and antioxidant activity useful for effective treatment of wounds and burns. Free radical scavenging activity of a herbal gel prepared from Equisetum arvense was measured using DPPH method, Nitric oxide method and H2O2 assay method. The free radical scavenging activity was evaluated for different formulation (EA1-5) and the activity was found in concentration dependent manner Keyword: Equisetum arvense, Horsetail, Hydrogel, Anti-Oxidant Activity. 1. Introduction Herbal medicine, as a major part of traditional medicine, has been used in medical practice since antiquity and is a common element of ayurvedic, homeopathic, and naturopathic medicine. World health organization (WHO) notes that 74% of the plant derived medicines are used in modern medicine, in a way that their modern application directly correlates with their traditional use as herbal medicines by native cultures [1,2] . Equisetum arvense (Family: Equisetaceae) commonly known as the Field Horsetail or Common Horsetail, is a bushy perennial herb native to the northern hemisphere. It is a member of a very primitive family of plants. In spring a spore-bearing stem, resembling a thin asparagus shoot, rises 15-20cm; once shed, this is replaced by a pale green bush with erect hollow jointed stems with longitudinal furrows, and with sharply toothed sheaths covering each joint; from the sheaths of the central stem arise whorls of fine branches, each giving off finer whorls, the whole sometimes extending up to 60cm in height [3,4] .Active Compounds of the plant include minerals like silicic acids and silicates, potassium, sulphur, manganese, magnesium; flavonoids: quercetin glycosides; phenolic acids, alkaloids, equisetonin, phytosterols: cholesterol, isofucosterol, campesterol; tannins. [5,6] Horsetail possesses diuretic properties, which are believed to be due to equisetonin and flavone glycosides [7] . Horsetail herb extract helps body retain calcium more efficiently due to a silica compound and can