Abstract

EXTRACTION AND USE OF LALLEMANTIA ROYLEANA SEED MUCILAGE AS A PHARMACEUTICAL EXCIPIENT

Shweta Mishra*, Akanksha Bhandari, Nayyar Parvez and Pramod Kumar Sharma

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to develop excipients of natural origin that have the ability to swell up rapidly on coming in contact with fluids. The advantages offered by natural polymers have been documented in many previous studies. The focus of the present investigation was to evaluate the seeds of Lallemantia royleana, also known as sweet basil as a potential candidate for superdisintegrant action. The seeds of the plant have been used since long times as a food additive thereby eliminating the need for toxicological studies. The present work evaluates powdered seeds and the polymer obtained from aqueous extraction of the seeds for use as a superdisintegrant in tablet formulation. The powders were evaluated for various properties like swelling index, particle size, their micromeritic properties, density and viscosity. On the basis of the above examinations, it was discovered that the aqueous acetone extract of the seeds had better swelling characteristics and the tablets prepared from the polymer showed considerably lesser disintegration times than those prepared using powdered seeds. The only problem being encountered during the study was lower yield of the extraction process. Further research is needed to discover better methods of polymer extraction.

Keywords: Mucilage, swelling ability, seed, excipient, suspending, superdisintegrant.