EFFECT OF PARTICLE SIZE OF OKRA GUM AS A SUSPENDING AGENT ON SOME PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF RECONSTITUTED DRY PARACETAMOL SUSPENSION
Vincent Obaga Nyandoro* and Joshua Ikoni Ogaji
ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of
particle size of okra gum as a suspending agent on the physicochemical
properties of oral dry paracetamol suspension. Materials and
Methods: Batches of pediatric paracetamol (125 mg/ 5 mL) dry
suspension powder containing okra gum particles undersize 180, 250
and 355 μm were formulated for reconstitution. Similar batches of
paracetamol dry suspension were made using tragacanth gum as a
suspending agent to provide a basis for comparison. Some
physicochemical properties of the paracetamol suspensions such as
sedimentation volume, viscosity, redispersibility, degree of
flocculation and dissolution rate profile were evaluated. Results: The
results showed that the physicochemical properties differed among the
batches of the paracetamol dry suspension and were influenced by
particle size of the suspending agent. Discussion: Although all the samples met the
dissolution profile requirements by releasing more than 80 % of the content within 30
minutes, there were obvious differences in the viscosities of the samples that may influence
the acceptability and compliance by the patients to therapy. The study showed that particle
sizes of okra gum used in the formulations were responsible for the observed characteristics.
Conclusion: Among the three okra gum samples, particles undersize 180 μm yielded
paracetamol suspension with desirable physicochemical properties thus implying that there is
an optimum particle size of suspending agents that should be used in a suspension. Therefore,
when ascertaining the quality of a dry suspension, particle size of the suspending agent is
critical as it affects the physicochemical properties of a suspension.
Keywords: Particle size, Suspending gent, Physicochemical properties, Oral dry suspension, Paracetamol.
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