eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 0973-1245 2026-03-30 23 1 342 354 10.13005/bbra/3502 58203 article Daksha Lalit Attarde 1 Sulochana Sonya Gavit 1 Bhagyashree Nanasaheb Borde 1 Department of Pharmacognosy, Mahatma Gandhi Vidyamandir’s Pharmacy College, Nashik, India. Foot cracks are a common dermatological condition that require intensive and long-term care for effective management. Ayurvedic Shatadhauta Ghrita, a lipid-rich base, is known to enhance skin permeation and provide sustained soothing effects. The present study focuses on the use of Shatadhauta Ghrita as a base incorporated with herbal extracts of Lawsonia inermis and Rubia cordifolia, and compares its transdermal diffusion performance with Aloe Vera gel-based formulations. Diffusion studies were carried out using both synthetic and biological membranes over a period of 300 minutes employing Franz diffusion cells. Simultaneous analysis of the metabolites was determined using dual wavelength UV spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that Lawsone and Rubia metabolites exhibited significantly higher cumulative drug release, flux, and permeability from the Ghrita-based formulations, particularly through the biological membrane. Kinetic analysis suggested a controlled, erosion-assisted diffusion mechanism for Lawsone, while Rubia showed sustained Fickian diffusion from the lipid-rich base. An increased lag time was observed for Lawsone, whereas Rubia exhibited moderate lag characteristics in the Ghrita formulation through the biological membrane. Overall, Shatadhauta Ghrita demonstrated superior enhancement of transdermal diffusion for both hydrophilic Lawsone and lipophilic Rubia constituents, supporting its potential as an effective base for herbal foot crack management. https://www.biotech-asia.org/vol23no1/comparative-diffusion-kinetics-of-lawsonia-and-rubia-in-shatadhuata-ghrita-and-aloe-vera-based-formulations/ Franz diffusion study; Lawsone; Permeation release study; Rubia; Shatadhauta Ghrita; Transdermal diffusion