Original Article TABLET FORMULATION FROM MENIRAN (PHYLLANTHUS NIRURI L.) EXTRACT WITH DIRECT COMPRESSION METHOD RESMI MUSTARICHIE 1* , DRADJAD PRIAMBODO 2 1 Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, 2 Department of Pharmaceutics (Apothecary Programme), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia 45363 Email: resmi.mustarichie@unpad.ac.id Received: 19 Apr 2018, Revised and Accepted: 24 May 2018 ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of the present study was to obtain an optimized formula of meniran (Phyllanthus niruri L.) extract tablets that fulfilled the requirements as a good pharmaceutical preparation based on Indonesian Pharmacopoeia IV and USP XVII. Methods: P. niruri plant was collected and determined at the Laboratory of Plant Taxonomy, Universitas Padjadjaran. First performed phytochemical screening to determine the content of secondary metabolites. Then designed five kinds of tablet formulas of P. niruri extract using a direct compressed method with a variation of concentration of filler. Each formula contains a similar concentration of P. niruri extract as the active ingredient, avicel PH 102 and amprotab with varying concentrations as filler, talcum, and magnesium stearate as a lubricant and Aerosil®200 vv as an adsorbent. Tablet print mass and quality of the resulting tablets were then evaluated. Also, check whether the resulting tablets still contain P. niruri extract as the active substance or not. Results: The results of phytochemical screening of simplicia and viscous plant extract showed the presence of alkaloids, polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids as secondary metabolites. The five formulas made contain avicel PH 102 and amprotab as binders and crushers and the expected results such as shape and durability as desired. The results of examination of shrinkage rate of mass drying of tablet prints from the above five formulas indicated an increase of value from formula A (5.4609 %) to formula E (5.8600%). This was because avicel PH 102 and amprotab had a considerable moisture content, so with the combination of both fillers could increase the water content from mass print tablets. Real density, compact density, and true density decreased from formula A to formula E. The amount of these densities were influenced by the shape and size of the particles. Flowability increased from formula A (23.7124°) to formula E (26.4210°) whereas compressibility increased from formula A (21.7222%) to formula E (29,4121%). Flowability and compressibility increase might be due to the uniformity of the particle size between the amprotabs and the other additives which could cause electrical charges to the print mass affecting the speed and flow of the print mass. All quality testing results including Weight (mg), Thickness (mm), Diameter (mm), Hardness (N), Friability (%) and Disintegration time (min.) had met the requirements. Thin Layer Chromatography showed that the resulting tablets still contain P. niruri extract as the active substance. Conclusion:. Overall results showed that the formulation fulfilled the requirements as a good pharmaceutical preparation based on Indonesian Pharmacopoeia IV and USP XVII. Keywords: Meniran, Phyllanthus niruri, Directly compressed tablet, Formulation, Avicel PH102 © 2018 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2018v10i4.26795 INTRODUCTION Utilization of plants as medicinal ingredients has long been known by people in Indonesia commonly known by the name of jamu (herbal medicine) [1]. One type of plant that has not been developed completely but has many uses, especially in traditional medicine is meniran (Phyllanthus niruri L.). Meniran is a wild plant, a season that grows in a moist and rocky place [2]. It was reported containing alkaloids, balsams, sterols, carbohydrates, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phlobatannins, resins and terpene in trace; while the essential elements are detected Ca, Na, K, P, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn. the plant is rich in various chemicals that differ from people. In Indonesia, meniran is widely used for the treatment of diuretics, renal impairment, mouth ulcers, antipyretics, malaria, anti- diarrhoea, high blood pressure, menstrual cramps and bile disorders [4-6]. Choudhari et al. [7] developed a formula containing Andrographis paniculata, Momardica charantia, Phyllanthus niruri, Terminallia chebula, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Punica granatum for treatment and management of HIV-AIDS. Based on the many benefits of meniran plants, one of them as anti diuretics, this article reports the formulation of the preparation of meniran extract in the form of tablets. If it is a tablet it will facilitate the use and transportation of the drug. Tablets are compact solid preparations, manufactured in a molded manner, in flat or circular tubes, either flat or convex surface, containing one or more drugs with or without additives. Additional substances used may serve as fillers, binders, lubricants, developing or crushing agents, or other suitable substances. Based on the method of making tablets can be classified into two, namely tablet prints and directly compressed tablets [8, 9]. The tablets are made of medicinal materials and the fillers generally contain lactose and sucrose powder in various comparisons. The moist mass of the powder is pressed with low pressure into the molding hole. Then removed and allowed to dry. Tablet print is rather fragile, so be careful in packaging and distribution. On the other hand, the right-handed rock tablets have many advantages, especially in terms of durability and transportation. A direct compression method is a method of printing a medicinal substance or a mixture of medicinal substances and powdered auxiliary substances without going through the initial treatment process [10]. The direct compression method is the simplest method of making tablets compared with other tablet- making methods, wherein this method there are only two processes: mixing materials and printing. The thing to note in this method is the use of appropriate auxiliary materials for the manufacture of direct compression [11, 12]. Furthermore, making tablets from plant extracts is usually constrained so that many plant extract products are marketed in liquid or capsule form. So far, preparation of compressed tablets from meniran extract has never been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS Material Dried meniran extract (PT Phytochemindo Reksa), Dragendorff, Mayer reagent, Lieberman-Buchard reagent and avicel magnesium powder PH 102, amprotab, talcum, magnesium stearate, green dye (PT Kimia Farma) and Aerosil® 200 vv (Degussa). I In nt te e r rn na a t ti io o n na al l J Jo ou u r rn na a l l o of f A Ap pp p l li ie e d d P Ph h a ar rm m a ac ce e u u t ti ic cs s ISSN- 0975-7058 Vol 10, Issue 4, 2018