Isolation and Characterization of Moringa Olifera Gum: A Novel Sustained Release Polymer

Abstract

If one were to imagine the ideal drug delivery system, two prerequisites would be required. First, it would be a single dose for the duration of treatment, whether it will be for days or weeks, as with infection, or for the lifetime of the patient, as in hypertension or diabetis. Second, it should deliver the active entity directly to the site of action, thereby minimising or eliminating side effects. This may necessitate delivery to specific receptors or to localization to cells or to specific areas of the body. In the past decade great interest got generated on replacing conventional administration of drugs by novel delivery systems which would release effective quantities from a protected supply at a controlled rate over a long period of time. Ideally a drug to provide desired therapeutic action should arrive rapidly at the site of action (receptor) in optimum concentration, remain there for desired time, spare other sites and get removed from the site. One of the interesting results of pharmaceutical research is the fact that absorption rate of a drug can be decreased by reducing its rate of release from the dosage form. The products so formulated are designed as sustained action, sustained release, delayed action, prolonged action, depot, respiratory, retarded release and timed release medication. In order to control the release of drug from its dosage form, an effective sustained release polymer is essential. Though, there are several sustained release polymers available in the market, there is continuous need to develop sustained release polymers which are safe and inexpensive. The aim of the work was to isolate and characterize the Moringa olifera gum as novel sustained release polymer.

Keywords: Isolation, Sustained release, Moringa Olifera gum