Author Jani GK, Shah DP, Jain VC.
Natural gums and mucilage have been widely explored as pharmaceutical excipients. The goal of this study was to extract mucilage from the leaves of Aloe barbadensis Miller and to study its functionality as an excipient in pharmaceutical sustained-release tablet formulations, Sustained-release dosage forms are prepared to achieve a desirable and predictable pharmacodynamics response within appropriate pharmacokinetic parameters, improve patient compliance, reduce side effects, and maximize drug efficacy , creating drug-embedded matrix tablets using direct compression of a blend of drug, retardant material, and additives is one of the simplest approaches for a formulation. One of the most used methods of modulating drug release is including polymeric material within a matrix system. Matrix systems are important because of their simplicity, low cost, the small influence of physiological variables on their release behavior, and their suitability for manufacture on modern high-speed equipment, Drug-release retarding polymers are the key performers in matrix systems. Various polymers have been investigated as drug retarding agents, each presenting a different approach to the matrix system. Based on the features of the retarding polymer, matrix systems are usually classified into three main groups: hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and plastic. Hydrophilic polymers are the most suitable for retarding drug release, and there is growing interest in using these polymers in sustained drug delivery, natural gums and mucilage are well known for their medicinal use. They are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as thickeners, water-retention agents, emulsion stabilizers, gelling agents, suspending agents, binders, film formers, and sustained-release agents, many plants contain mucilage, which provides high concentration of complex polysaccharides. Mucilages are hydrophilic polymers, It also contains aloetic acid, galactouronic acid, glucosamine, monosaccharides, and polysaccharides. It is used to heal wounds, burns, and to treat eczema and disturbed menstruation, Diclofenac sodium is a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic properties. It is used to treat degenerative joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondilitis. Diclofenac sodium is rapidly dissolved in intestinal fluid and reaches its maximum blood concentration (Cmax) within 30 min. It is metabolized mainly by hepatic hydroxylation and subsequent conjugation (13). In healthy human volunteers, mean plasma clearance of diclofenac sodium was 16 L/h, and the mean elimination half-life of the terminal phase was 1.21.8 h to diminish diclofenac sodium gastrointestinal irritation, which is a common problem with all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, effective enteric-coated dosage forms are used. Food, however, effectively delays the absorption of the drug, which causes a nonreproducible pharmacokinetic profile, and the drug has no immediate therapeutic effect, Aloe barbadensis and to study the various pharmaceutical properties of the mucilage to assess its functionality as an excipient in pharmaceutical sustained-release formulations, Physicochemical and microbial properties of A. barbadensis mucilage powder 200x was studied for percentage yield, chemical test, particle size, weight loss on drying, solubility, viscosity, pH, swelling index, bulk and tapped density, angle of repose, compression properties, and microbial load, Aloe barbadensis Miller powder appears suitable for use as a pharmaceutical excipient in the formulation and manufacture of sustained-release matrix tablets because of its good swelling, good flow, and suitability for direct-compression formulations. From the dissolution study, it was concluded that the aloe vera gel powder can be used as an excipient for sustained-release, modified-release, and fast-release tablets with suitable modifications.
