Evaluation of the disintegrant and dissolution properties Of Powder And Cellulose obtained from cocoa pod husk on paracetamol tablets

Abstract

Extracted cellulose and powder from cocoa pod husk were characterized physicochemical, their distingrant efficacy determined and compared with standard disintegrants such as maize starch and micro crystalliro cellulose. To evaluate the disintegrant and dissolution efficacy of extracted cellulose and powder from cocoa pod husk on paracetamol tablet, the extracted cellulose and powder were obtained from dried and sized cocoa pod shell through a chemical process involving washing, filtration and bleaching at 40-60oC using 3.5% w/w nitric acid, sodium hypochlorite sodium hydroxide whitened using hydrogen peroxide processed powders admixed for wet granulation technique of paracetamol tablet formulation. The formulation result show cocoa pod husk powder as a good tablet disintegrant at concentration of 2.5 – 7.5% w/w using wet granulation method since it caused paracetamol tablet to  disintegrate within official time (British pharmacopeias) of 15 ± 5 minutes standard deviation while that formulated with the extracted cellulose which seem to be most useful as a direct compression excipient and in sustained release formulation could not disintegrate within the 15 ± 5 minutes time when incorporated in the wet  granulation paracetamol tablet formulation method. The inability of the cellulose to cause disintegration at a concentration of 2.5 – 7.5% w/w could be due to the possible formation of a viscous gel when hydrated thereby retarding the breakdown of the moist granule and lowering the dissolution rate than microcrystalline cellulose used as reference standard. Also from physicochemical results the powder obtained at concentration of 2.5 – 7.5% w/w evidenced as a good disintegrant in wet  granulation tablet formulation while the cellulose instead of enhancing  disintegration, increased in its binding property in the presence of moisture hence likely useful as direct compression exicipient.

Key words: Cocoa pod husk powder and cellulose, disintegration, dissolution, micro crystalline cellulose (mcc), maize starch (ms).