Aloe vera/Chondrus crispus Hydrocolloid Emulgels as Polymer-Structured Colloidal Carriers for Cannabidiol Incorporation

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a lipophilic phytocannabinoid of interest for dermocosmetic and topical applications, but its poor aqueous solubility and sensitivity to environmental conditions make its formulation challenging. This work aimed to develop avocado oil-in-water emulgels for CBD incorporation using a mixed emulsifying system based on Kolliphor EL and cricket protein and a commercial Aloe vera/Chondrus crispus gel as the structuring phase. First, different Kolliphor EL:cricket protein ratios were evaluated according to droplet size distribution. No significant differences in droplet size were found among formulations containing at least 67% Kolliphor EL (p > 0.05); therefore, 67K-33G was selected because it maximized the substitution of Kolliphor EL with cricket protein without significantly affecting droplet size. Progressive replacement of water by the commercial hydrocolloid gel markedly increased consistency and viscoelasticity, producing a transition from fluid emulsions to elastic emulgels between 50 AV and 75 AV. The 75 AV formulation showed low Turbiscan Stability Index values, a predominantly elastic response, and a more balanced structure than 100 AV. The selected emulgel showed a total analytical recovery of 96.2 ± 1.2% for CBD and retained 97.3 ± 0.7% of the initially recovered CBD after 30 days of storage at 4 °C protected from light. These results support the potential of Aloe vera/Chondrus crispus-based emulgels as semisolid carriers for lipophilic bioactive compounds.