Synthesis and characterization of drug carrier based on polysaccharides

Resumen o Introducción

The title of this thesis “Synthesis and Characterization of Drug Carrier Based on Polysaccharides” clearly reflects the objective, which is an approach towards preparation of excipients, defined as ‘the substance used as a medium for giving a medicament’, that is to say with simply the functions of an inert support of the active principle or principles.

Okra gum, obtained from the fruits of Hibiscus esculents, is a polysaccharide consisting of D-galactose, L-rhamnose and L-galacturonic acid. It is used as a binder. In studies okra gum has been evaluated as a binder in paracetamol tablet formulations. These formulations containing okra gum as a binder showed a faster onset and higher amount of plastic deformation than those containing gelatin. The crushing strength and disintegration times of the tablets increased with higher binder concentration, while their friability decreased. Although gelatin produced four tablets with higher crushing strength, okra gum produced tablets with longer disintegration times than those containing gelatin. It was finally concluded from the results that okra gum may be a useful hydrophilic matrixing agent in sustained drug delivery system. Various strategies were developed in order to overcome these issues, offering the opportunity to tailor the physical and chemical properties of okra gum thus yielding materials that may find a wide range of applications.

Extraction and purification of okra gum was carried out from okra pods. Followed by carboxymethylated and phosphorylation of extracted okra gum, which was carried out along with optimization of reaction parameter of the primary derivatives that is carboxymethylated okra gum and hydroxyl propyl okra phosphate, followed by drug carriers preparation. By the second modification carboxymethylated okra gum and hydroxyl propyl okra phosphate were carried out by cross linking acrylic acid, N, N-methylene acryl amide, hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) respectively synthesized cross-linked polymer were further investigated as drug carriers by formulating as tablet for sustained drug release. The drug release of different formulations were measured in relation to time and also compared with the standard drugs. Further mathematical modeling was implemented to know the order of release behavior of formulated tables.