TABLETING PROPERTIES OF THE BARK AND LEAF POWDERS OF AZADIRACHTA /NDICA (A. JUSS)
TABLETING PROPERTIES OF THE BARK AND LEAF POWDERS OF AZADIRACHTA /NDICA (A. JUSS)
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Date
1996-03
Authors
ISAH, ADAMU BABAH
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Abstract
Azadirachta indica (neem tree) is a well known medicinal
plant found particularly useful in the treatment of malaria. It is
readily available in the northern part of this country. Despite
the wide usage of this plant in malarial chemotherapy, the dosage
has not been standardized. It has therefore become imperative to
commence work towards formulating thi3 plant or its parts into a
suitable dosage form. In this study, attempts were made into
formulating the barks and leaves into tablets.
To investigate the tableting properties, the physico-chemical
characteristics of the bark and leaf powders of the plant such as
mean particle size and size distribution, particle morphology,
flow properties Gangle of repose, flow rate and Carr's index as
well as moisture contents, Using standard procedures. Compact
characteristics such as thickness, hardness, variability, and disintegration
times of the tablets compressed from these powders by
wet granulation and direct compression methods were investigated.
The effect of various binders and granule size fractions on the
characteristics of tablets produced by wet granulation method and
that of diluent on tablets produced by direct compression were
determined.
Microbiological analyses such as microbial contamination
levels and flora determination, and evaluation of the
antimicrobial property of the plant was also carried out. Tests
were also done to detect the presence of some indicator organisms.
In order to determine an effective dosage regimen for a
rational therapeutic use of this plant in malaria treatment,
pharmacological screening was carried out. Using a rodent
parasite, Spasmodic Joelie Nigerians, in Swiss albino mice, the
plant was screened for its curative, prophylactic and suppressive
application in malaria.
Investigations of the physio-chemical properties of the powders
of the bark and leaf indicated that these powders were mostly
fibrous in nature, with relatively poor flow characteristics.
Tablets produced by direct compression from the leaf powders were
generally unacceptable when subjected to quality control tests.
Those lab-lets produced from the bark and binary mixtures of the
bark and leaf powders were of better quality. Avicenna pH 101 at low
concentrations produced better quality tablets compared with the
other diluent s: lactose and Starch Rx 1500.
Tablets produced by wet granulation method were generally
better than those of the direct compression method. Maize starch
and polyvinyl pyrimidine produced good quality tablets when used
as binders. On the other hand, tablets produced from the bark
powders using methyl-cellulose as binder were generally friable
with short disintegration times. The granule size fraction used
was also found to have considerable influence on the resulting
compact characteristics. For example, particle size fraction less
than 500 μm but greater than 150 μm gave the best quality tablets.
Microbiological investigations of the bark and leaf powders
indicate moderate contamination with bacterial and fungal
organisms. The predominant bacterial contaminants were spore-forming
and non-sparing Bacillus while Aspergillus and mold were
the dominant fungal organisms. No indicator organism {E. coli.. Ps.
aeruginosa.. Salmonella spp, Staph, aureus and C. albicans) was
detected. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Azadirachta indica
exhibited significant inhibition on the gram positive test
organisms {B. subtitle Staph, aureus), C. Albanians and E. coli.
Only little activity was exerted against Ps. oleaginous by the
ethanol extract.
Pharmacological screening of the bark and leaf powders of
Adirondack indict showed that the plant has useful prophylactic
and suppressive antimalarial activities but has very little
curative property. The leaf powder exhibited higher degree of
antimalarial effect than the bark powder. Extrapolation of the
pharmacological data from the albino mice indicated that an adult
human being may need to ingest about 155 tablets of a 300 mg
weight per day for significant therapeutic improvement in malaria
infection.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Postgraduate School, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Award of the Degree of Master of Science (Pharmaceutics)
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology,
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, NIGERIA
MARCH, 1996
Keywords
TABLETING,, PROPERTIES,, BARK,, LEAF,, POWDERS,, AZADIRACHTA,, NDICA,