Journal of Pharmacy Research Vol.1.Issue 2.Oct-December 2008 COMPARATIVE EVALUATION STUDY OF MATRIX PROPERTIES OF NATURAL GUMS AND SEMI-SYN- THETIC POLYMER Rajendra Kotadiya* 1 , Vishnu Patel 2 , Harsha Patel 3 1, 3 Indukaka Ipcowala College of Pharmacy, New V. V. Nagar, Anand, Gujarat 2 A. R. College of Pharmacy, V. V. Nagar, Anand, Gujarat For correspondence:Rajendra Kotadiya,Indukaka Ipcowala College of Pharmacy,New Vallabh Vidyanagar – 388 121,Dist. Anand, Gujarat, India E-mail:rajlec_qa@yahoo.com, rajlecqa@gmail.com Received on: 26-08-2008; Accepted on :12-09-2008 ABSTRACT Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the granulation and tablet properties of natural gums with the extensively investigated hydrophilic matrices hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as suitable hydrophilic matrix systems. Methods: The granules were prepared by wet granulation method and granulation properties like angle of repose, bulk density, tapped density, Carr’s compressibility index, Hausner’s ratio and drug content were compared. Various sustained release matrices of prepared granules were prepared using HPMC (F1), Guar gum (F2), Xanthan Gum (F3), Locust bean gum (F4) and chitosan (F5). The matrix tablets were evaluated for uniformity of weight, content of active ingredient, friability, hardness, thickness and in vitro dissolution using USP XXIV dissolution apparatus. Results: All the formulations showed compliance with pharmacopoeial standards. A significant difference in release pattern was observed between the formulation F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5. F1, F3 and F5 release almost ~9% compare to initial burst effect of ~31% for F4 and F2 after 1h of dissolution period. At the end of 8 h of dissolution period it was found that 71.36%, 85.91%, 96.98%, 68.76% and 45.5% of drug release for F2, F4, F5, F3 and F1, respectively. Conclusions: Thus, natural gums show granulation and tablet properties that are similar to those of the extensively investigated hydrophilic matrices, HPMC. This suggests that the natural gums may be an ideal candidate in the formulation of matrix tablets on controlled drug delivery. KEY WORDS: Guar gum, Locust bean gum, Xanthan gum, Chitosan, HPMC, Flow properties, Matrix tablet INTRODUCTION Natural gums and their derivatives are used widely in pharmaceutical dosage forms as biodegradable poly- meric materials to deliver bioactive agents have been hampered by the synthetic materials. These natural polysaccharides do hold advantages over the synthetic polymers, generally because they are nontoxic, less expensive, and freely available. Natural gums can also be modified to have tailor-made materials for drug de- livery systems and thus can compete with the synthetic biodegradable excipients available in the market. Natu- ral gums are among the most popular hydrophilic poly- mers because of their cost-effectiveness and regulatory acceptance. Guar gum is a nonionic polysaccharide derived from the seeds of Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, family Leguminosae. It consists of linear chains of (1?4)- â -D-mannopyranosyl units with á-D-galactopyranosyl units attached by (1?6) linkages. In pharmaceuticals, guar gum is used in solid dosage forms as a binder and disintegrant [1-3]. A few reports appear on the use of guar gum, as a hydrophilic matrix, for designing oral controlled release dosage forms [4- 6]. Xanthan gum (XG) is another natural hydrophilic, biosynthetic, edible gum and an extracellular polysaccharide produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. XG consists of glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid and is recently being use in thickening, suspending, and emulsifying water-based systems [7]. It appears to be gaining appreciation for the fabrication of matrices with uniform drug release char- acteristics [8-11]. LBG is another plant seed galactomannan, composed of a 1-4-linked â- D-mannan backbone with 1-6- linked á- Dgalactose side groups [12]. The physico-chemical properties of galactomannan are strongly influenced by the Research Article 208