Isolation and characterization of gum from <i>Chrysophyllum albidum</i> fruits as pharmaceutical excipient

Abstract

This study describes the morphology, physicochemical and compressional characteristics of a natural gum derived from the fruits of Chrysophyllum albidum. Preliminary phytochemical screening and physicochemical properties of Chrysophyllum albidum gum (in comparison with tragacanth gum) were determined while scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the morphology of the gum. The compressional behaviour of the gum in comparison with that of corn starch BP was analyzed using density measurements and indices of plasticity from the Heckel and Kawakita equations. Chrysophyllum albidum gum contains saponins, polysaccharide, flavonoids, tannins and non- reducing sugar. The pH of 1% w/v suspension of Chrysophyllum albidum was 4.13. The angle of repose of Chrysophyllum albidum gum was high and indicative of a slightly poor flow. FTIR Spectra reveal absorption peaks between 1638 and 1454 cm^-1 while the absorption bands between 800 and 1200 cm^-1 represent the fingerprint region for carbohydrates. The SEM images reveal that the particles are round and regular in shape while the DSC thermogram shows a gradual increase in heat flow which suggests that Chrysophyllum albidum gum exhibits only the amorphous structure. Chrysophyllum albidum is a Type C material which exhibits a slower onset of plastic deformation than corn starch but had a lower overall amount of plastic deformation during the compression process. The results establish the fundamental characteristic of Chrysophyllum albidum gum and explain the rationale behind its use as raw material in pharmaceutical formulations

Keywords: Chrysophyllum albidum; Gum; Excipients; Compressional properties