The preparation and evaluation of non hygroscopic beads and powders of freeze dried artemisia afra- potential solid dosage forms

Abstract

The preparation and evaluation of non hygroscopic beads and powders of freeze dried Artemisia afra-potential solid dosage forms Samuel Ayodele Egieyeb M Pharm. Thesis: School of Pharmacy, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa. Traditional use of herbals is mostly by ingestion of a water decoction of plant partes). This is however not a pharmaceutically acceptable dosage form due to variability during extraction (e.g. quantity of water, temperature of water). Process of freeze drying has however been used to convert aqueous extracts to solid mass that can be formulated into solid dosage forms with uniformity of dose and content assured. A major drawback of this process is that freeze dried extract of most herbal preparations are hygroscopic which makes handling during production difficult and storage expensive. The aim of this study was to prepare non-hygroscopic beads and powders of freeze dried extract of Artemisia afra using alginate. Freeze dried extract of Artemisia afra (FDEA) was prepared and characterised. The FDEA was then incorporated into a matrix of sodium alginate solution (4% w/v) and formed into beads by ionic gelation in 2% w/v calcium chloride. Other modified form of the FDEA-alginate beads were prepared by coating the beads with polyvinyl pyrollidone and forming beads from oil in water emulsion of the FDEA. Freeze dried polymer coated FDEA-alginate beads and FDEA-polymer mix powders were also prepared. The physical characteristics, rate of moisture sorption, moisture isotherm, chemical interactions, crystallinity and release study were assessed for the formulated beads and powder ofFDEA.